Deepest Dreams
by animestargirl
Summary: Yami and Yugi are confused by their feelings towards one another. Through their dreams they realize their love. Do they have the courage to tell each other their deepest secret before it's too late? YamiYugi
1. Nightmares

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Star- hay there. I had to repost this story also, but I hope all my readers keep waiting for the new chapters. If you haven't read this yet, please do. Many people have said this is good, and I'd like to hear your opinion 

Disclaimer: Don't have time to argue with you people, so I don't own Yugioh or anything -sulks in corner- Lawyers: -big smile- Star: -glares at lawyers- Don't think I'm gonna do this all the time

"blah" Yami and Yugi talking out loud

'blah' Dream talking

/blah/ Yugi talking to Yami

/blah/ Yami talking to Yugi

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

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Deepest Dreams 

Nightmares

'Yami, where are you?' Yugi cried out into the night. 'Yami, don't leave me! Where did you go?'

Yugi frantically ran through the trees searching for his lost dark. Finally he ran into a clearing, and spotted him. Yugi only stared at the former Pharaoh as he regained his breath. Yami was lying on a rock staring into the full moon. The light radiated off him, and made his skin glow in a pearly shade of white. His hair was blowing gently in the breeze, framing his perfect face.He looked so peaceful, and…desirable lying there. Yugi realized his mouth was hanging open, so he closed it and walked towards the image of perfection before him.

'Yami, why did you leave me? I was worried about you,' he said, as he stood in front of the spirit.

'That's all you do. Worry, worry, worry. I don't know why I stick around with you. Now that I have my own body, I can do anything I want, including get away from you,' Yami said as he lifted himself from the rock. He stared at Yugi with his piercing crimson eyes. He had a look of hatred and disgust in them, a look he only saved for his enemies.

Yugi was shocked, but as that faded, the feeling was replaced by one he had never felt before. He was engulfed in a wave of sadness, fear, and…..longing. Longing for one who hated him. Longing for one who would never see him as an equal, just a burden to protect. 'Y-Yami?'

Yami got up and walked away from Yugi's now trembling form. As he walked away, Yugi fell on the ground and started to sob uncontrollably. 'Y-Yami, no. Wait……..Yami!'

-----In Yugi's Room-----

"YAMI!" he screamed out in a wave of panic. "Yami come back!"

Yami ran into Yugi's room, ready to fight off anything that was hurting his precious hikari. When he saw nothing wrong, he turned his attention on Yugi. He paled when he saw him.

Yugi was thrashing around in his bed, knocking everything off. He was deathly pale, and drenched in sweat. His eyes were shut tight, and he was reaching out into the air, screaming Yami's name.

"Yugi! Yugi what's wrong?" Yami asked, afraid of what was happening. "Yugi, wake up! I'm here, don't worry!" he said, as he grabbed Yugi, and held him tightly, trying to stop his wild moving.

Yugi opened his eyes quickly, and looked up. When he looked into Yami's eyes, he broke down in tears. "Yami, I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't….." Suddenly his dream came back to him, and he was filled with fear. He pushed away from Yami, and curled up in a corner.

Yami was confused by his actions, and was worried when he felt fear overflow their mindlink. /Aibou, please tell me what's wrong./

/Nothing, just please leave. I didn't mean to bother you./

/What do you mean? It never bothers me to protect you. Please, just tell me/ he said, as he walked over to Yugi's small form on the floor. Yugi only flinched, and curled up tighter. Yami frowned, and slid Yugi into his lap, wrapping his arms around his hikari's waist. Yugi just sat there, trembling in fear of what Yami would do.

Yami started to whisper comforting words to Yugi, in an attempt to calm his light. Yugi started to calm down, and gingerly lay his head on Yami's bare chest. The spirit of the puzzle started to rock back and forth, till Yugi's trembling had ceased, and was now sleeping quietly, holding on to Yami's arm.

Yami was filled with worry and a feeling he couldn't describe. It felt like….love. Was it possible he loved his other half? Why did Yugi act like that? Why did he feel so useless just now? Seeing Yugi act like this, made him realize how much he cared for him, and how empty he would be if anything happened to him. With these questions buzzing around his head, he slowly fell asleep, drawing Yugi closer to him, so he could be with him all night.

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Star: Well, what did you think? Too angsty? I thought so, but I didn't plan this. I was just writing it as I went along, but the next chapter will be better. Trust me. 

Anyway, please review for this story. I would really appreciate it. Thanx, bye.


	2. Confusion and Pain

Star: Hay I'm back with another chapter. This is faster than I usually put up a new chapter, but what can I say? I love Yami and Yugi, both separate and as a couple.  
  
Anyway, I'm also going to be posting up another chapter of Don't Leave and The Sweetest Rose. If not today then tomorrow, but it will be soon. .   
  
Well, here we go. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: NO! Not now, not today, not ever! grabs Yami and Yugi and glomps them Lawyers: grab Yami and Yugi's feet, tug on them Star: tugs back No! Yami,Yugi: it hurts! Star: TT fine then! lets go I don't own Yugioh runs away Lawyers: evil smile

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Confusion and Pain  
  
"Yami…hey. Earth ta Yami……YAMI!" yelled Jou, jerking Yami out of his dazed state. "Are you ok bud? You've been acting funny all day."  
  
"I'm fine Jou, I'm just….tired," Yami said, as he feigned a yawn. Truthfully, Yami wasn't tired. He had slept in Yugi's room all night, holding the younger one in his arms. He had never felt so peaceful in his life. The reason he was spacing out was because he was in deep thought.  
  
((Yugi's been avoiding me all day, he thought as he walked through the halls. In fact, he hasn't looked at me at all. I hope nothing's wrong with him. Why won't he talk to me?)) Yami stared sadly at his light, who was laughing with his friends.   
  
Yugi looked at Yami through the corner of his eye, and saw the usually regal Pharaoh standing in a corner looking depressed and alone. Yugi could feel sadness flow into his heart, but it was quickly replaced with fear when Yami looked at him. (Why do I feel like this? It was just a bad dream, but it felt so real. I care for him too much. Maybe…more than usual. I get a funny feeling when I'm around him, and I like it. But last night, I…..I just don't want that to happen in real life, but what if Yami really does feel that way? What if he really does hate me?)  
  
"Yugi are you ok?" asked Honda with a worried expression. "You seem really quiet today"   
  
Yugi flashed a fake smile at them. "I'm fine guys. I guess today is just one of those days, you know. Now let's get back to class before were late." Yugi ran up the stairs, passing Yami as he jogged down the hall to their next class. Yami just slowly trudged through the hall, followed by Jou.  
  
"Ok, there is definitely something wrong wit you today. Usually you race after Yug, but today you're staying away from him. What happened between you two?"  
  
"Nothing Jou. Everything's fine," Yami said with a sigh. (At least….I hope. I just can't shake the feeling Yugi's afraid of me. Each time he looks at me, I can feel fear come into our link.)  
  
In the class, the teacher gave a new project. He was assigning partners, when he stopped at Yami's name. Usually he paired him up with Yugi, because the two worked perfectly with each other, but today he saw them sitting at different ends of the class. Usually they were inseparable, but today was different. "Yami and...Jou."   
  
Both yami and hikari sighed when they heard the pairings. Yami was relieved because he wanted to give Yugi some space to let him cool down. Yugi, on the other hand, was just relieved that he wouldn't have to work with Yami, not after last night.  
  
"Yugi and…Ryou," the teacher called out, and Yugi smiled happily. He went over to sit with Ryou, and the two friends started talking immediately. Yami was glad to see his light truly happy for once in the day, but was saddened that he wasn't the one causing that happiness.  
  
"So, I'll see you tomorrow, and don't forget to start researching tonight," the teacher finished as the bell rang, signaling to the kids their freedom had come. Yami was packing up his bag, when he heard Yugi's voice come hesitantly through their link.  
  
/Y-Yami?/  
  
/Yes, my little aibou?/  
  
/Ryou is going to spend the night. Is….is that ok?/  
  
/Yes, that's fine/ Yami replied as he walked through the doors outside. He knew now that Yugi was indeed afraid of him, but for what reason? He decided it would be better if he spent the night somewhere else. He asked Jou and was enthusiastically welcome by both Jou and Honda, who was also spending the night.  
  
/Yugi, I'll be spending the night with Jou and Honda. Since tomorrow is another school day, would you like me to come home early?/  
  
/No/ came the reply, a little too quickly. /No, don't come….early. You…you don't have to do that…because of me./  
  
Yami had to strain to hear the last part, but when he heard he was confused. Why wouldn't he do things for the one he cared for so much? Well…..he was still debating if what he felt last night was brotherly concern or….love.  
  
/Are you sure? It wouldn't bother me at all./  
  
/…….Yes, I'm sure/  
  
As both of them walked away in different directions, they were each lost in their own thoughts.  
  
((Why do you fear me? I'd never do anything to make you fear me. Please don't be afraid of me, I'd never live with myself if something happened to you because of me. I…I'm sorry for anything, my sweet little Yugi. I'm sorry.))  
  
(I'm so afraid now. I don't know why though. It was just a bad dream…but I can't shake the feeling that it was more than a dream. Maybe he just acts nice to me, but secretly he despises me. I don't want him to be angry with me…..even if it means distancing myself from him…maybe for good. I'm sorry if I've done anything, my yami. I'm sorry.)

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Star: There you go. That was a little longer than before, but not as long as I meant it to be. Since it seems like everyone wants this updated soon, I decided to give you what you want.   
  
Anyway, I'm really tired, so please review if you like.text 


	3. Fears and Discovered Feelings

Star: Ok, here we go. Chapter 3. I hope everyone liked chapter's 1 and 2. I have 11 chapters already for this story. I have been posting them on a different website, but that's ok, because that means that you won't have to wait so long for an update!  
  
Enough talk for now, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: NO! -grabs Yami and Yugi- Not today! Lawyers: -grab Star's art doll- Star: HEY! It took me a long time to finish that doll of Yugi! Lawyers: -slowly pull off head- Star: O.O you evil sons of……..I don't own Yugioh. Now give me my doll! -runs away with art doll and Yami and Yugi- Lawyers: O.O -chase her-

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Fears and Discovered Feelings  
  
'It's so peaceful out here, but I get the feeling something's wrong,' said Yami, as he walked through the dark trees. 'What's that noise?' he questioned, as his ears picked up the faint sound of crying. 'That sounds like Yugi!' With that, the Pharaoh ran off in search of his light.  
  
Yami entered a clearing, and saw Yugi sobbing on the cold ground. 'Yugi, what's wrong?' he asked as he ran towards the younger one. Suddenly Yugi got up and ran away. Yami chased after him, as he sensed fear pour into their link. He chased Yugi for what felt like forever, and finally caught him.  
  
'Yugi, what's wrong? What happened to you?' the spirit asked frantically, shaking the other one. 'What's wrong with me is you! Just leave me alone for good. Stay away from me!' yelled Yugi, who was trying to escape.  
  
Yami stared at Yugi, and slowly let go. 'W-w-what? Yugi……what do you mean? Yugi?'  
  
Yugi walked away slowly, eyes wide in fear, 'No! No, just stay away! Don't come any closer. I don't want you near me. Leave me alone!' he yelled as he ran off into the woods, and disappeared.  
  
Yami stood there in complete shock. What just happened? It couldn't be real….no. Yugi wouldn't run from him. 'Come back…Yugi. Yugi……..YUGI!'  
  
in Jou's house  
  
Yami shot up in his bed, and anxiously looked around. He raised a shaky hand to his face, and wiped the sweat off. It was then he realized he was soaked, because he had been wildly tossing around. As his breathing slowed down to normal, he looked around for Yugi. When he saw he was at Jou's house, he let out a sigh. He lay back down to think about what he had just dreamed.  
  
((Yugi was afraid of me. Just like today at school. What is going on? And why did I have that dream? I don't know what to do. Everything is going wrong.)) Yami let out a sigh and turned over to stare out the window. Yugi was his last thought as he slipped into an uneventful dream.  
  
At Yugi's House   
  
(I can't sleep now. I'm scared I'll have that dream again if I do. Also, I can't sleep because Yami's not here to watch over me) Yugi growled in frustration. (What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be afraid of a dream, but I can't forget it. I don't want my lo…..I mean, I don't want Yami to be mad at me) Yugi sighed and looked outside. (I almost said 'my love'. What was I thinking? I don't feel that way…..do I?)  
  
Not wanting to press the issue, Yugi pulled out a photo album. He went through the different pictures and found the ones with just the guys at the beach. There was one with the three yami's hugging their hikari's. The next was the three yami's fighting. Another one, was Jou and Honda fighting. Seto was holding Jou back, and Otogi was holding Honda back. Then came a picture taken five minutes later with Jou holding Seto and Honda holding Otogi. Then came Yugi's favorite picture. It was just Yami and Yugi sharing a milkshake and hugging. They were both making peace signs to the camera, and looked so happy. "I wish I could go back to that day," Yugi said with a sad sigh.  
  
"So do I," said Ryou from over Yugi's shoulder. Yugi jumped in the air, and glared at the other teen. "Do you want to kill me!?!?" Ryou just laughed and looked at more pictures with Yugi.   
  
After a while, Ryou looked over at the other. He noticed the miserable expression on the duelist's face and decided to ask him about it. "Yugi are you ok? You're not your usual self today. Did something happen between you and Yami?"  
  
(What do I say? He wants to know, but should I tell him?) Deciding to confy in his friend, Yugi told what he had been keeping secret all day.   
  
Ryou listened closely, and when Yugi was finished, he gave him a hug. "Yugi, you know Yami better than anyone else. He'd never hate you, you now that. I don't think you should take that dream too seriously. "  
  
"But Ryou, it felt more than a dream. It felt real, and I don't know what to do about it. If he does hate me…..I don't know what I'd do if he left me."  
  
Ryou smiled," Yugi…..do you love Yami?"  
  
Yugi's eyes opened wide and he was unable to speak. "W-w-….I don-…..I mean…I never…..I think…..I….I don't know. Everything is so confusing."  
  
Ryou smiled knowingly. "Do you ever get a great feeling when you're around Yami?"  
  
Yugi just nodded, looking at the floor in embarrassment.   
  
"Does everything seem better when he's around?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Does it feel like you can't live without him?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Would you do anything for him?"  
  
"Of course I would! In a heartbeat."  
  
"Then I think you love him. It's obvious to me you do. You just have to figure it out for yourself, and tell Yami. Pushing him away isn't going to fix anything. It'll just make it worse. Don't deny it, you know you do."  
  
Yugi thought about it for a while, then let out a sigh. "Maybe, I just don't know. But thanks Ryou, you're the greatest," he said while giving his friend a hug.  
  
"Of course he is," said a voice from nowhere.  
  
"Bakura! What did I tell you about listening into my private conversations?!"  
  
Yugi laughed as he watched Ryou argue with the bodiless voice. Everyone knew Bakura and Ryou loved each other and would never get into a real fight. Even Malik and Marik were in love. Maybe it was his time to fall in love with his yami. If, that is, Yami didn't hate him completely.  
  
Yugi felt a little better, but was still afraid of what he saw in the dream. As he walked back to his bed, he smiled and thought of his Yami. (I want to believe what Ryou says, but I don't know how Yami feels. I can't ask him though. He'd just hate me more. I'll figure this out tomorrow.)   
  
/Goodnight my dearest Yami/ he whispered into their link, before drifting off to sleep.  
  
At Jou's House  
  
Yami stirred in his sleep, as his light's words reached his ears. He smiled and hugged his pillow closer to him, thinking it was Yugi. /Goodnight my wonderful aibou/ he whispered back.

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Star: See, there already starting to have feelings for one another. I'd never let anything bad happen to this couple.   
  
A little hint about their dreams. They are in some way connected. When Yami saw Yugi crying, it was were Yugi had left off in his dream. The reason Yugi ran away, was because he was afraid Yami was going to do something to him. But instead of seeing that Yami was worried about him, he just saw anger, so he ran. When Yami chased him, that made it worse. So Yugi's dreams will pick up from there. But don't worry. This will have a happy ending, plus lemon.   
  
So anyway, I hope you liked this. Please review to show how much you care. 


	4. Interesting School Day

Star: Hay I'm back for another chapter. This chapter has no dream, but the next one will. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: Nope don't own Yugioh. I'm not fighting cause I'm still half asleep. Just you lawyers wait till I wake up.

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Interesting School Day  
  
"Ryou do you have the books?"  
  
"Got them. Let's go," replied Ryou as he and Yugi walked to school. During the walk they talked about their project. Well, actually Ryou was talking. Yugi was just listening and nodding his head. He was really thinking about last night. It was the first night he had spent away from Yami in a while. He didn't have any dreams that night, but was still too afraid to go to sleep completely. What Ryou said last night made Yugi think about all the time he had spent with Yami.  
  
"Yugi…..Yugi! Wake up, were here," yelled Ryou. "Are you ok? Did you sleep at all last night?"  
  
"Just a little," the other teen replied. "I couldn't sleep more than a few minutes at a time." Yugi looked around the campus trying to find his dark side. He spotted Yami near the doors laughing at something Jou said. Yugi felt mixed feelings when he looked at him. He felt fear, confusion, and though he'd never admit it, he felt affection for the former Pharaoh.  
  
"Are you thinking about him?" asked Ryou, making Yugi jump. "Jeez Ryou! You're getting too sneaky, like Bakura."  
  
"Is that a problem for you?" asked a voice from behind. Ryou sighed and rolled his eyes, while Yugi turned around. He backed away slowly from Bakura's form, and bumped into Ryou.   
  
"I asked you a question, and I'm waiting for an answer," Bakura asked as he stepped closer. Yugi saw that Malik and Marik were behind him with scary grins on their faces.  
  
"Bakura," Ryou said a warning tone in his voice.   
  
"I'm still waiting kid," he said again as he moved closer to Yugi, who was now standing behind Ryou, eyes big with fright.  
  
"He won't give you an answer Tomb Robber," said Yami, who appeared in front of Ryou through the Millennium Puzzle.  
  
"He insulted my Ryou, so I want an apology," Bakura said as he glared at Yami.  
  
"You will not hurt Yugi in any way," said Yami glaring back at Bakura, anger filling his crimson eyes.  
  
"Bakura, he didn't insult me. It's ok," said Ryou as he pulled the spirit of the ring away. "Feh," was all he said as he, Malik, and Marik followed Ryou.  
  
"Are you ok Yugi?" asked Yami, turning to his light.  
  
"Yea I'm fine," he replied quietly, looking at the ground.  
  
Yami stared sadly at his other side, who was still ignoring him. He had hoped Yugi wouldn't be afraid of him any more, but he was wrong. He rested his hand on Yugi's shoulder, causing the younger one to look up at him. Yami smiled at him, letting some of the love he felt show in his eyes. Yugi noticed the emotion in his eyes, and smiled back at him. Together they walked into the school.  
  
Yugi spent all day thinking of the emotion he saw. (What was that? It was so comforting, but so strange. I felt….loved. Could it be he….no way. He was the great Pharaoh. Why would he even care about me? What if Ryou was wrong? I can't take this anymore.)  
  
"Mr. Mouto? Mr. Mouto?" the teacher repeatedly called. Yugi didn't respond, but continued to stare out the window. The teacher rubbed her head in frustration, and reached over to poke Yugi, to get him to respond.  
  
Yami noticed this and called out to Yugi through their link. /Yugi are you ok?/ When Yami wasn't answered he tried again, this time louder.  
  
/Yugi? Hello? Are you there? Yugi I'm serious, answer me.....YUGI!/  
  
/Yami? What is it? /  
  
/Are you ok? You didn't answer me, or the teacher./  
  
/Teacher? /  
  
/She's been calling you for five minutes. People are starting to notice./  
  
Yugi snapped out of his dazed state and noticed the teacher standing over him. "I'm sorry Mrs. Avalon, I guess I don't feel good today."  
  
The teacher reached over and felt his forehead. "Hmm, you don't feel hot, but go to the nurse just incase. Take your books too, incase you don't come back."  
  
Yami watched worriedly as his light walked slowly out of the class. He didn't sense that Yugi was sick, so there must be some reason he said that. Yami half listened as the teacher continued talking, but mainly he was looking out into the hall, looking for his beloved aibou.   
  
Yugi wasn't in the next two classes either. By that time, Yami was panicking. The ancient spirit tried calling for him, but found their line was closed from Yugi's side. When the lunch bell rang, Yami rushed out of the class room and ran to the nurse's office.   
  
"Hello Mr. Mouto. What can I help you with?" asked the friendly nurse at the front desk.   
  
"I'm here to see Yugi. Is he ok?"  
  
The nurse smiled brightly, but shook her head. "I'm sorry, he's sleeping now. You can come back at the end of the day, if he's still here."  
  
"Is he ok? There's nothing wrong with him is there? He seemed fine, so why hasn't he come back to class yet?"  
  
"He's fine, but he complained of a head ache, so we gave him some medicine and he fell asleep. If you want, you can take a quick look. It might make you feel better."  
  
Yami slowly nodded his head, and went in the room. He opened the door, and peered in. He saw Yugi sleeping peacefully on the bed. He let out the breath he'd been holding as relief washed over him. He turned to the nurse and asked if he could go in for a few minutes. She smiled and nodded, closed the door, then left.  
  
Yami tentatively walked closer to Yugi's form. The spirit noticed Yugi's skin was paler than usual, and concern came over him again. He couldn't let Yugi get sick. He was supposed to protect him. How was he supposed to do that if he couldn't even protect his light from a sickness?   
  
"Yugi?" he whispered as he took hold of the teen's hand. It felt cold, so the spirit rubbed it a little. Presently he felt the hand tighten around his, and he looked at Yugi's face. Yugi was slowly waking up, when he noticed Yami. "Y-Yami? What are you doing here?"  
  
Yami suddenly hugged Yugi tightly, and laid his head on Yugi's shoulder. "I was worried when you didn't come back. Are you ok?"  
  
Yugi was shocked at his dark's unexpected actions, but hugged him back anyway. "I'm ok. My head just hurt really badly."  
  
"Are you sure that's it?" Yami asked as he pulled back to look into Yugi's eyes.   
  
Yugi smiled reassuringly and nodded. Yami smiled back and hugged him again. He didn't know why, but he needed to be close to Yugi now. He didn't want anything to happen to him, so he would stay with him.  
  
Yami hugged Yugi tighter and moved his head closer to Yugi's face. Yugi tensed up at the movement, but relaxed as Yami started to nuzzle his cheek.   
  
"Yami?" he whispered, confused at the actions his other half was performing. He thought of pushing him away, but stayed still, waiting for something to happen. Yami on the other hand was still moving his face. When he stopped, his lips were just an inch away from Yugi's. Neither of them knew what would happen next, so they sat there. Yugi's breathing was becoming shallower, and he started quietly panting. Yami could feel the rise and fall of Yugi's chest increase, so he didn't move.   
  
Yami then moved back a little to look into Yugi's eyes. Yugi was looking at the sheets between them, but lifted his gaze to look into the Pharaoh's crimson eyes. Yami came closer to Yugi again, aiming for his soft lips. He came so close he could feel Yugi's warm breath on his face. They were less than an inch apart and Yami was coming in for the finish.   
  
"Yami visiting time is over. Oh Yugi, I see you're awake."

* * *

Star: Ha! I gave you a cliffie. Oh come on people, did you really think I would make them get together that fast? At least I managed to get some fluff between them. Blame the song I'm listening to. They are getting closer, but the troubles and especially the dreams are not over 


	5. Vacation Time

Star: Hay people! How's everyone's summer? Mine's been going great, but I decided it's time to update again so I hope everyone's happy!! Anyway, I'll cut the talking and get to the story so enjoy!  
  
I have a few things to mention before we start. Originaly when Yugi and Yami talk through their mind link, I had Yugi's words be in two slashes like this (/blah/) and Yami was the opposite (blah). But for some reason the slashes weren't appearing for Yami's thoughts. I have tried to do other ways, but they didn't work out so good. So from now on, all mind talk will be like this (/blah/) Sorry if any of you were confused.  
  
Disclaimer: Nope. Lips sealed. You can't make me talk. Lawers: grab Yami and yanks his hair. Yami: TT wahhh. Star: help me pleaze! It hurts. Star: OO Nooo!!! Yami! Ok. I don't own Yugioh. Lawyers: drop Yami and leave Star: grabs Yami That's low. shouts after lawyers You hear me! I'll get you someday!

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Vacation Time  
  
The nurse opened the door and walked in.   
  
"Hello Yugi. Do you feel better now?"  
  
"Y-yes, Nurse Joy."  
  
"Where's Yami?"  
  
"He…he's in the…bathroom." Yami was actually hiding in the puzzle that was sitting on the table next to the bed. He disappeared into it when he heard the nurse approaching.  
  
"Are you ok Yugi? You look a little flushed. Are you getting a fever?" Nurse Joy asked, while reaching over to feel his forehead.  
  
Yugi leaned away from her reach. "I'm fine. It's ok, I'm just hot."  
  
"I still want to check your temperature," she said, reaching closer.  
  
"No really. Everything's fine," he said moving closer to the wall.  
  
"What would your grandfather and Yami say if you got sick because I didn't treat you soon enough? Now open up, and let me check your temperature."  
  
"No, you really don't have to do that! I-"Yugi was cut off as a thermometer was placed in his mouth. He glared at Nurse Joy, who laughed it off.  
  
"There now, that wasn't so hard," she said as she pulled it out. "Well, it's normal. But maybe you should take off your jacket. The bell is about to ring, so I'll give you and Yami pass. If you still feel bad you should go home," she said as she left, closing the door behind her.  
  
Yugi sighed and leaned against the wall. What had just happened? He must have been delirious or something. Yami wouldn't really try to kiss him. But then why did his pants feel more restricting than usual? He needed a vacation from school. It must be too much stress.   
  
/Yugi is she gone?/ Yami's voice cut through their link.  
  
/Yes, she's gone now. /  
  
The puzzle glowed lightly as the spirit appeared from within. Though Yugi was facing the sheets, he looked at the Pharaoh's regal form through the corner of his eyes.  
  
Yami was standing with his back towards Yugi. He was too ashamed of what he had done, yet he still felt aroused.  
  
"I'm so sorry my aibou. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have done that. Please forgive me," he said, keeping his back turned.  
  
"It's ok Yami. I didn't mind," Yugi replied quietly. "We better go now," he said, getting up. He teetered slightly, and leaned far to the side. Yami caught him before he fell. "Yugi!"  
  
"I'm fine. I just got up too fast." Yugi stood up and leaned against Yami's chest for support. He stayed there for a few minutes before reluctantly moving away. He placed the puzzle around his neck, and reached down to take his bag, but Yami grabbed it before him. They waved goodbye to the nurse and walked out.  
  
Their last class went by quickly, and Yugi felt better. Both the spirit and the hikari kept stealing glances at each other. Something was changing between them, and they were both confused.  
  
"Goodbye kids, and have a great holiday. I'll see you in a week!" the teacher yelled over the excited voices of the students.  
  
"Yes! Some well deserved vacation time! Now for dat good ol' r&r," shouted Jou as he jumped down the steps of the school.  
  
"Isn't r&r for those who actually work?" mocked Honda. Jou glared at him and started to speak, when a hand covered his mouth.  
  
"Quiet puppy. Don't waste your breath," said Seto as he pulled Jou into a hug.   
  
Otogi glared at Kaiba, but ignored him. After what happened last summer at the beach, he wouldn't get on Kaiba's bad side any time soon. "So Yugi, where were you all day?"  
  
At this Yami and Yugi stopped in their tracks. "The nurse's office," he answered.  
  
"Are you sick?" asked Anzu.  
  
"No it was just a bad headache. But it's gone now."  
  
"That's great, but where were you Yami?" asked Marik with a sly grin.  
  
Yami's eyes widened a little, but he tried to remain calm. "I went to check on him."  
  
"Is that all?" asked Bakura, evilly smirking.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Malik, Marik, and Bakura exchanged smiles and Yami stared at them. ((What do they know? They couldn't have been there.))   
  
Ryou also saw their smirks, and pinched Bakura hard on the cheek.   
  
"OW! What the hell was that for?" he asked, while rubbing his swelling cheek.  
  
"You three are planning something, so stop it," the teen replied, glaring at the two Egyptians and his yami.  
  
"Aw, Ryou let us have some fun," pleaded Malik while hugging the life out of Ryou.  
  
"N-no!" the boy replied while trying to breathe. "K-Kura, help!"  
  
While Bakura was trying to free Ryou from the Egyptian's death grip, Yami pried Jou away from Seto to talk to him.  
  
"Everything ok Yami?" the blond asked.  
  
"Yes…no…sorta," the spirit replied, looking at the ground.  
  
"Uh…ok. Mind explaining?"  
  
"Well, there's this person I think I'm starting to like."  
  
"Ya think? Ya mean ya-"  
  
"Can I finish? Anyway, this person has no idea of my feelings.  
  
"Do I know dis person?"  
  
"…Yes," Yami replied slowly.  
  
"Who is it?" Jou asked, leaning against the wall, now extremely curious about Yami's love life.  
  
"Not telling. Anyway, I kinda, almost…kissed that person."  
  
"Ya did?!" Jou asked, eyes lit up with excitement and interest, which was freaking Yami out. "What happened? Why didn't ya do it? Where was it? When?!"  
  
"Calm down Jou!" whispered Yami, eyes bulging out. "We never got to it because someone walked in on us before we could kiss."  
  
"Stupid teachers!"  
  
"You're really loud you know."  
  
"Sorry. Well, what do ya need from me?"  
  
"How do I…tell this person I like them?" Yami asked looking at the ground again.  
  
"Does this person like you back?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Do you think they like you?"  
  
"Maybe……..I have no clue Jou!"  
  
"Well, you should just tell this person. Unless they don't feel that way back, then you're better off keeping it to yourself."  
  
"Thanks Jou. You're such a great help," the Pharaoh replied, sarcasm dripping off his voice.  
  
"Look I'm sure this person is great. If you like them, dey must be someone special to you. Just don't get too wrapped up. Ya don't wanna get hurt ya know."  
  
"Yea thanks. I'll think about it."  
  
"No prob. And if dey hurt you in anyway, I'll take care of 'em!"  
  
"Uh thanks……I think," Yami said, sweat dropping.   
  
"Guys let's go! Jeez, what are you doing? Flirting?" yelled Marik, who was punched on the head by Seto. "What was that for? It fucking hurt!"  
  
Seto walked away and grabbed Jou. "Let's go already. We have to get our things."  
  
"Where are you guys going for the week?" asked Anzu as she walked from away from where Bakura and Malik where wrestling.   
  
"Me, Seto, Shizuka, an' Mokuba are going to a beach in da Bahamas. We have ta go pick up the others. See ya guys," Jou said as he climbed into the waiting limo, which sped down the street.  
  
"Bakura and I are visiting my dad in England. We're going on a dig. And, this time Bakura, dig up a dead dog, don't bury a live one," he mock glared at his yami who was rolling on the ground laughing.  
  
"I'm visiting my cousin in America. We're going to see a dance school in New York," Anzu added, a dreamy sparkle in her eyes.  
  
"Marik and I are going with Isis to see a museum in China. She's having a problem with the director. He says there are too many things to display."  
  
"Isis said I can help "persuade" him," Marik said, grinning devilishly.  
  
"We are going to the mountains," said Yugi. "Yami is going to learn how to snowboard."  
  
"The Pharaoh? Snowboard? I wanna see. Can't I see him fall on his ass just once Ryou?"  
  
"Sorry, but our plane leaves tonight."  
  
"No fair! Take pictures Yugi!"  
  
"Sure thing," Yugi said, laughing while Yami glared at him and Bakura.  
  
"Get us doubles," laughed Honda. "Otogi and I are traveling to his parents. We're going camping. They live on the other side of the country."  
  
"You? Camping? That's a laugh," said Anzu, trying not to laugh…out loud.  
  
"Is your grandpa going with you guys?" Malik asked Yugi.  
  
"No he's at a convention. So it's just us," Yugi said keeping calm outside, but inside he was panicking. That fact had never bothered him before, so why now? Sure, things were different between him and his yami, but it wasn't real…..right?  
  
"Oh so it's just you two?" Marik asked.  
  
"What if it is?" replied Yami.  
  
"No reason. We just wanted to know. I'm sorry if it offends the great Pharaoh if we ask a question," Bakura said, pretending to bow on his knees before Yami.  
  
"Shut up tomb robber. We have to go pack, so we'll see you guys in a week," Yami said as he walked off.  
  
"Have fun you two," Bakura said, putting stress on the word fun. "Don't get caught in an avalanche, Pharaoh."  
  
"Don't get buried alive tomb robber," Yami said, walking back to pull Yugi away.  
  
"Bye guys," Yugi said, trying to keep up with Yami's pulling. "What's the matter? You're hurting my arm."  
  
"I'm sorry aibou. Those three aggravate me," Yami said, not letting go of Yugi's arm, but lightly holding it close to him.  
  
"You've told me so many times," Yugi laughed, walking closer to Yami, not pulling his arm away. (Why does this feel natural? He's holding my arm, and I like it. I'm too confused by this. What's going to happen this week? It will be just me and Yami. I hope nothing goes wrong. I don't want to have anymore dreams like that first one. I'm just going to enjoy my time with Yami, no matter what happens.)  
  
((A week all alone with Yugi. What is going to happen? I don't want anything bad to happen. I won't let anything happen to him. He's mine and I'll always keep him safe)) he thought as he walked into the gameshop, to his room upstairs.  
  
"You ok Yami?" asked Yugi, walking towards the spirit. "You look stressed."  
  
"I'm just tired. Don't worry about me Little One," he said as he collapsed on his bed.  
  
Yugi stood at the doorway for a few minutes, admiring his dark side. He walked over and sat on the bed next to Yami's half-sleeping form. Yami pulled him into a hug, and drew him onto the bed. Yugi was surprised, but happily cuddled into the spirits arms. Yami nuzzled his lights face lightly, then buried his face into Yugi's soft neck. Yami wrapped a leg around Yugi's hips, drawing his light as close as possible. Yugi didn't know what to do, but snaked his arms around Yami's waist. They fell asleep, a smile on both their faces. This was going to be an interesting week.

* * *

Star: There. I tried to add as much fluff as I could at the end without making their feelings too obvious. It might be too soon to add some of the things, but oh well. I want to get to the happy love part soon, but I won't make it too soon. They still have to go through heartache. I won't be too mean to them though. Anyway, enough of my talking, review if you love me. 


	6. Shared Tears

Star: Hay. I'm back for another chapter! Ok, I have another change to make. When I previewed this chapter on the quickedit I noticed that their thoughts were messed up, so from now on all thoughts will be this: (thoughts). That's all the changes I make for now.  
  
Anyway, just as a recap, both Yugi and Yami have had dreams, and they are confused by what they saw, and their changing relationship. Also, Yugi has not completely gotten over his dream. And to make it even worse, he will have his second dream this chapter. Will it ruin his vacation? Who knows? I sure don't. Again, this is not planned. I'm just typing what ever comes to my mind.  
  
One last thing. You can tell when they are having a dream by this (0o0o0o0o0). This border will tell the begining and end of a dream, so you won't get confused.  
  
Ok, enough of my talk. On to chapter 6!  
  
Disclaimer: Can't you have a heart this one time? Lawyers: shake head Star: Do you have a heart? Lawyers: shake head Star: I already knew that. I don't own Yugioh.

* * *

Shared Tears  
  
"Yami do you have everything?" asked Yugi as he stepped into the warm lodge.  
  
"Yes…..but you could help a little!" said the spirit as he walked into the lodge, pulling a cart of bags in behind him.   
  
"But I am helping," Yugi replied with a laugh, holding up the two bags he was holding.  
  
Yami semi glared at him, but continued on to the front desk. "We have a reservation under 'Mouto'," he told the clerk.  
  
"Ah yes," she replied. "Will it be just the two of you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok then, here is your key, and enjoy your stay," she said, too perkily, as she handed Yami the room key.  
  
"Are we all set?" Yugi asked walking next to him.   
  
"Yes, they will bring our bags up in a few. Let's go check out the room now."  
  
"Fine, but the first bed I see is mine. I am just starting the jet lag," Yugi asked while trying to stifle a yawn.   
  
Yami smiled at him, and walked slower so he could enjoy this time with his aibou. It had been two days since the scene in the nurse's office, and neither of them could forget it. Yami had been sure Yugi would be mad at him, or avoid him even more, but it seems Yugi had gotten closer, if just a little.  
  
"Here we are, room 106," Yugi said, unlocking the door and walking in. He jumped in the bed closest to the window, and climbed under the covers.  
  
"Aren't you going to get undressed?" Yami asked his light, laughing.   
  
"Later," he replied, yawning, and falling asleep.  
  
Yami smiled, and looked out the window. I hope nothing goes wrong on this trip. He then covered Yugi with a blanket and went to take a shower. In the mean time, Yugi started tossing and turning in the bed.   
  
(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)  
  
dream  
  
Yugi ran across the snow covered ground, leaving imprints of his existence behind him. He was out of breath and tired, but he couldn't stop running. If he did, he would find him. 'I have to get away. I can't let him get me,' he thought as he ran through the trees.   
  
He had been scared when his other half came back and chased him through the trees, but he had managed to get away. He had been running for who knows how long, but he felt if he stopped, he would be found.  
  
He wanted to get as far away from the spirit as possible. Yugi didn't know why he had come back, but didn't want to find out. He had made it clear he despised Yugi, so Yugi ran. He ran away from his dark, hoping never to see him again. 'Why? Why do you hate me?' he thought as he collapsed on the ground. He was filled with anger at the other, and punched the cold, hard ground, causing his hand to become bruised and cut. 'What have I done to you? It's not fair! You promised you'd always be there for me! You can't leave me now! Not now!' he yelled as he repeatedly punched the ground.   
  
He curled up into a tight ball and looked at his hand. He could feel tears trickle down his cheek, as he watched a light stream of blood flow down his wrist. He let out a sob, as he covered his hand with his jacket. 'Why do you hate me?' he whispered shutting his eyes.   
  
Suddenly, the wind started to blow. He felt it sting his face, and curled up tighter. But he couldn't escape the fierce storm. He couldn't escape the pain or the heartache.  
  
(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)  
  
Yugi shot up, and tried to calm himself down. He was suddenly pulled into Yami's arms. "You're awake! Thank Ra. I was so worried, because you wouldn't wake up no matter how much I tried."  
  
Yugi lay in Yami's arms, panting heavily. He was covered in sweat, and was trembling violently. He was weak and couldn't move at all.   
  
Yami pulled him closer, and wrapped him in a blanket. /Yugi what happened?/ He asked filled with worry.  
  
Yugi didn't answer, but closed his eyes and tried to stop shaking. He found he couldn't calm down no matter how hard he tried, and found he was also scared. (Why did I have that dream again?) He started to cry in Yami's chest, as he held on to him. He wouldn't let go of Yami for anything. He didn't want to be alone.  
  
Yami became scared when Yugi started crying. He pulled him close and whispered comforting words to him. He felt tears roll down his own face at the sight of his precious aibou. He didn't know what to do, and he felt useless. He couldn't help Yugi now, or even protect him from whatever was causing him this pain. He silently cried, as he held on to the most valuable thing in the world to him.   
  
They sat there holding on to each other, not talking, the silence only broken by Yugi's crying. Yugi could feel Yami's tears fall on his forehead, which made him cry more. (Why is he sad? He's sad because of me. I'm the reason everything bad happens to him. It's all my fault.)  
  
Yugi's crying soon turned into silent sobs, his chest heaving every now and then. The tears flowed down his cheeks, as he tried to stop them completely. Soon he was just trembling in Yami's arms, as he tried to fall asleep. Yami pulled a blanket over them both so he could stay with Yugi all night. He stroked Yugi's cheek as the other one fell into a light sleep. The tears were still falling down the Pharaoh's face as he watched over his light all night.

* * *

Star: I'm so sorry if that was too sad. I really didn't mean to make it that way, so if any of you hate me now, please forgive me.  
  
I am actually not that happy with the way this came out. The dream is fine for me, but I found the end too similar to the first chapter. I hope you liked it though.  
  
Please review and don't hate me. This might be the last chapter for a while though. I might not put up another one for a few days, but what do I know? Thanks for reading and reviewing. Ja ne!text 


	7. Snow Fun

Star: Hi all! I'm back for another chapter! This chapter has more fluff between them. I wasn't really sure if I should have put the fluff at first, but then decided I wanted you guys to be happy, so I put it.   
  
This chapter has them at the mountains snowboarding. A little note for all of you. I have never snowboarded! I have never even seen snow. So I probably got some of the instructions wrong. As a result, I only put a little.   
  
Ok, I'm sure you would rather read the story than read my boring notes. So here, just for you readers, is my next chapter of "Deepest Dreams" fade to black  
  
Disclaimer: I have the right to refuse to say this. So I won't say it. Lawyers: tackle star Star: OO help! Rabid lawyers are attacking me! Lawyers: Oo ??? Star: -.- fine, be that way. I don't own Yugioh (yet)

"talking"

(thoughts)

/mind link talking/

* * *

Snow Fun  
  
Yami woke up the next morning alone in the bed. He jumped up and looked around the room. His ears picked up the sound of humming coming from the small kitchen. He walked over to the doorway and saw his aibou sitting at the counter reading a pamphlet.  
  
Yugi looked up and smiled brightly at him, motioning for him to come over. Yami slowly walked over and sat down next to him.   
  
"Morning Yami. What should we do first today? I think we should go to the slopes, so you can start learning how to snowboard."  
  
Yami just smiled, and nodded his head. He was worried about his light. Last night he had been scared to death, but today Yugi was acting like nothing bad had ever happened to him. Yami got the feeling that Yugi was just hiding his true feelings, but didn't want to call him on that, incase what happened last night decided to repeat itself.   
  
"Let's leave in an hour ok? I want to get there while there's still fresh snow. I'm going to take a shower now."  
  
Yami nodded and went to lie down in the living room. He plopped down on the couch, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and thought back to last night. It had happened before. That same scene, just less than a week ago. He didn't know why it scared Yugi, or even what scared him.  
  
He then remembered his own dream. It came flooding back to him. (Is Yugi having dreams like that? His seem to be worse than mine though. I wish I knew what it is that's scaring him.)  
  
Yami sighed and went into a light nap. Presently he sensed someone standing over him. He opened one eye and saw Yugi watching him, a smile on his innocent face. Yami smiled back and closed his eye again, only to be jerked awake when he felt cold water splash his face. Yugi laughed at the Pharaoh as he tried to dry off. He then hopped over the couch and landed next to Yami. He gave his dark a hug as they both fell back on the couch.  
  
Yami hugged him back, glad that his sweet aibou was in a good mood, especially after last night.  
  
"Are you ready Little One?" he asked, getting up.  
  
"I am, but you still have to get dressed," Yugi replied, pulling Yami back down and laying on top of him.  
  
"I can't get dressed if you don't let me go," he said, smiling.  
  
Yugi put on a fake frown, and started to sob. "You don't like me?" he asked, pretending on the outside, but inside he was hoping for a good answer.  
  
Yami smiled at him and tackled him to the ground. He gave him a big hug and whispered into Yugi's ear. "I can't live without you."  
  
Yugi felt chills go up his spine when the spirit's warm breath tickled his ear. Yugi hugged him back, then rolled away. "Come on. It's time for you to learn how to snowboard. I've put new film in the camera too. I want to get every embarrassing part!"  
  
Yami growled at his aibou as he got up. Even though he was half way across the world, Bakura was still managing to mess with this vacation.  
  
He quickly put on his clothes and walked down stairs with Yugi at his side. They were met with a blast of snow when they stepped outside.   
  
"Why does snow have to be so cold?" mumbled Yami as they walked over to the rental store. There they got their gear, and headed back outside. They met up with their instructor, who seemed a little too eager to work with them.   
  
(a/n: for those of you who might have forgotten, I have never snowboarded in my life. I have never even seen snow, so if I get something wrong, please tell me so I can correct it.) "Ok then, now that you have your board on, I'm gonna show you how move," he said.  
  
The instructor spent half an hour showing him the basics, all the while secretly drooling over the both of them. "No Yami, you're doing it wrong. You have to bring the board forward to stop. Yugi come here and show him. This is what you have to do," he said, placing his hands on Yugi's sides. Yami felt jealousy trickle into his heart.   
  
Yugi sensed this dark feeling and looked over at Yami. He saw Yami staring angrily at the instructor and was confused. His thoughts were interrupted when the trainer's hands moved farther down his back. Yugi felt a blush creep up his cheek, while Yami became more envious.   
  
"I think I have it now," the spirit said, walking over to them. "Thank you for the help." Yami quickly pulled Yugi away from the teacher and they both walked off.   
  
"Are you ok? Your face is red," Yugi asked as they headed over to the chair lift. "I'm fine. I'm just impatient right now," he replied, as they got into the chair.  
  
Yugi smiled and leaned back, resting on Yami's shoulder as they rose to the top of the mountain.   
  
Once they got off, they headed down the slope slowly. Yugi pulled out the camera unexpectedly, and took a picture of Yami falling in the snow.   
  
/Aibou! I can't believe you actually brought the camera!/ he mock yelled at Yugi.  
  
Yugi just laughed it off. "Why wouldn't I?" he said, as his dark stomped over. He looked into the crimson orbs and saw a flicker of amusement.  
  
"Ok then," the spirit said with a sly grin, "Then you won't mind if I take pictures of you."  
  
Yugi smirked at him and handed the camera over. "Knock yourself out," he said, gracefully gliding down the slope.   
  
Yami watched as his light moved calmly, taking in every twist his body made. The spirit felt lust pull at him as he thought of other reasons that would make his light twist like that. He suddenly felt his pants tighten again.  
  
(What am I thinking? I shouldn't think of Yugi like that. I can't let these feelings get out of hand.) He covered his lust filled eyes with the camera and took pictures.  
  
After a few minutes he placed the camera in a bag and joined Yugi down the slope. They spent hours snowboarding and taking pictures of each other falling down. At lunch they took a break and had a snowball fight. Neither wanted to quit, so they spent the whole day on the mountain.  
  
Around six they finally decided to go inside. They couldn't feel their hands and the rosy color on their cheeks was glowing brightly. Yugi noticed how the flush made his dark look irresistible.   
  
(Stop thinking those thoughts! I can't think of Yami like that. He would never feel that way for me.)  
  
They walked into their room, took off their heavy jackets, and sat down on the couch. They were so tired they could barely move. The two teens sat there and looked at the pictures.  
  
"This part was funny," Yugi said, pointing to a picture of Yami covered in snow. Yugi had hit him with a snowball in his back, which made Yami fall in the snow.  
  
"Oh yea? Well what about this part?" Yami replied, looking at a picture where Yugi had fallen on the ground after tripping over a mound of snow. "That was funny for me," he added, laughing.  
  
Yugi just smiled, "Who cares? I still won the race downhill. You don't win everything, you know."  
  
"So? You've had more experience than me. I've never seen snow before, so it doesn't count!"  
  
Yugi laughed and got up. "You're just a sore looser you know that," he said walking to the bedroom. He was suddenly tackled by his other half, and they both fell on the floor. They wrestled a bit, but the wrestling soon turned into a tickle fight. Yugi tried to get away from Yami, but was always being drawn back.  
  
"NO! Stop! No more!" he managed to say through laughs. He was laughing so hard, his eyes started watering.  
  
"Admit I'm the best then," Yami said, tickling his poor aibou mercilessly.  
  
"No way! I won and you can't change that," Yugi said as he managed to crawl away. He didn't get very far though, when he was pulled back to the floor. "Yami! Stop, no more!" he said as his dark started to tickle him more.  
  
"Just admit I'm the best and I'll let you go," the Pharaoh said, smirking evilly.  
  
"N-no!" Yugi said between breaths. He felt like he would pass out if he laughed any more.  
  
"Then I have no choice but to force it from you," Yami said, as he lay on top of Yugi, pinning his arms above his head.  
  
"Ha! How can you tickle me now? You don't have any more hands," Yugi said triumphantly.  
  
Yami smiled at him before attacking his hikari's neck. He nibbled at the soft skin, making Yugi cry out in surprise. /Just say I'm better and I'll stop./  
  
/No way! You just don't want to loose./  
  
/Have it your way then,/ he replied, starting to lightly suck on the tender neck. He moaned slightly, sending vibrations through Yugi's body. Yugi gasped as the vibrations hit all the pleasure spots of his body. (What is he doing! This can't be happening!) was all he could think of before another wave of pleasure ran through him.  
  
Yami didn't know why he was doing this either. This was no longer about who won or lost. The gasps Yugi was emitting were making him go crazy with lust. He couldn't stop now, he had no control over what he was doing. He felt himself become hard, and by the slight pressure on his thigh coming from Yugi, he could tell his hikari was also aroused.   
  
/Y-Yami. W-what are you doing?/ Yugi asked as he started panting heavily.  
  
Yami didn't answer, but looked up into Yugi's eyes. Yugi stared into the deep crimson orbs, and lost himself in the depths. Yugi saw the lust, but deep somewhere he saw something else. He got a feeling of what it was, but before he could find out completely, he was brought out of his thoughts by Yami changing his position on his body.  
  
Yugi gasped loudly as Yami lightly trailed his lips up his neck. He didn't know why he wasn't moving away. Yami's grip wasn't that strong, so he could easily get away. But for some reason he didn't want Yami to stop.  
  
Yami touched his lips lightly with Yugi's. His lust grew when he felt the warm, soft lips he had always wanted to taste. He nibbled on Yugi's bottom lip, all thought abandoned at this point.  
  
/Yami!/ he heard Yugi call out again. His mind was so clouded with lust, he couldn't stop now. He ignored his aibou's cries, and continued his assault on the tender flesh. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. He pressed his lips on Yugi's, licking the bottom, hoping to get entrance into Yugi's mouth.  
  
Yugi was shocked and didn't move when he felt Yami press his lips against his. His eyes opened so wide, he felt like they were going to fall out. Then the shock was replaced with a warm feeling. He couldn't explain it, but it felt good. He wanted more of this feeling, but he didn't want to go too far. The uncomfortable tightness in his pants told him it was past "way too far."  
  
Yugi lost all thought then, as he opened his mouth slightly, enough for Yami's tongue to dart in. Yami explored all the depths of his aibou's mouth, savoring the sweet taste. He passed his tongue over Yugi's, causing it to jump up. The two tongues fought with each other, not caring who won, caring only that they could feel each other. They were both holding back moans as they continued to ravage each others mouth.  
  
They broke the kiss finally to take in some air. They stared at each other, violet mixing with crimson, loosing themselves in the other. Yami quickly snapped out of it, his eyes growing wide in realization of what he had just done. He jumped off of Yugi, and disappeared into the puzzle. /I'm so sorry my aibou,/ was all he said, as he hid himself deep in his soul room.  
  
Yugi slowly sat up, not yet comprehending what had just taken place. The lust slowly vanished, returning him to his thoughts. (What just happened?)

* * *

Star: I did it! They have kissed, so now the fluff can continue. I'm so happy! Any way, I really like this chapter, so I hope you guys did too. Please review to show you care. Ja :hugs all: 


	8. Hugs and Kisses

Star: Hay everyone!!!! This chapter has a little angst in the beginning but has a sweet ending. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.   
  
Disclaimer: Too tired to argue. I don't own Yugioh  
  
"normal speech"  
  
'dream speech'  
  
/mind link/  
  
(thoughts) - because the little stars won't work  
  
(0o0o0o) - dream begining and end

* * *

Hugs and Kisses  
  
Yugi got up slowly and walked to the couch. His legs were shaky, so he took small steps. He was in total shock about what had just happened.  
  
(Why did he do that? That was definitely not a dream.) His brain stopped functioning after that thought, and all he could do was sit and stare at the camera. A while later he snapped out of his daze, and walked over to the window.  
  
He stared out at the snow covered mountain, now bathed in a pearly white glow from the moon overhead. Even though the scene was breathtaking, it couldn't lift the concern that was gnawing at his mind. Yugi hadn't heard from his dark in a while and worried, so he tried calling him.  
  
/Yami?/ He heard nothing but silence so he tried again. /Yami? Please answer me./ He received no answer, and realized the link was closed from Yami's side.  
  
(He probably never wants to talk to me ever again. Yami, why did you do it?) He sighed, and even though his erection was still throbbing painfully, he walked to the bedroom, fell on the bed and slowly went to sleep.  
  
Meanwhile, Yami was in his soul room, hiding in the darkest corner. The shadows flowed around him, and surrounded him to protect him from sight.  
  
(The shadows serve me, and the monsters of the Shadow Realm follow my orders. I was the great Pharaoh that saved the world twice, yet I can't control myself around a human.)  
  
"He probably hates me now. I can't believe I did that, l didn't mean that to happen," he said sadly. Yami rose and walked around, the shadows following at his feet. He couldn't face his hikari after that. There's no telling what he would do. Yami wanted to stay hidden for as long as it took to make Yugi forget what had happened. He wouldn't be forgetting it for a while though, his arousal would make sure of that.  
  
"Why did I do that? I can't believe I kissed him like that, or even that I kissed him. I'm supposed to protect him from those who would harm him and try to steal his innocence. That means I must protect him from myself now," he whispered as he sat on a small bed in the middle of a room he had walked into. He lay down and closed his eyes, the shadows covering him completely.  
  
(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0)  
  
'Why is he afraid of me?' Yami asked out loud, as he followed the path Yugi had taken. He had lost sight of his aibou when the storm came. (Yugi why do you act like that? Please don't fear me.)  
  
Yami saw Yugi's foot prints again and started to run. He was worried something had happened to him. He needed to find Yugi, because he without him, he was not complete.  
  
Yami felt a change in the wind again, and ran faster. He had to find his dear aibou before he lost him in the coming storm. The foot prints were becoming harder to see, and the spirit had to slow down every once in a while to make sure he wouldn't loose them completely.  
  
Soon he came to a clearing surrounded by trees. Yami looked around and finally saw Yugi. Yugi was on the ground, leaning against a tree. Yami saw his eyes were closed in pain, and when he noticed his right hand was injured, a wave of panic came over him. 'Yugi!' he cried out as he ran towards the other.   
  
Yugi opened his eyes, and was overcome with fear. (He found me. I couldn't get away.) He was too weak to run anymore and the pain from his hand had made his entire right arm go numb. He slowly stood up, but collapsed before he was completely standing.  
  
Yami ran up to him and fell to his knees before him. His gaze traveled to Yugi's hand, which was still bleeding. He slowly reached for it, but before he could touch it, Yugi pulled it back. Yami looked at Yugi, who was facing the ground, his eyes covered by his bangs. 'Yugi...'  
  
'Leave me alone. Just please go away,' the younger teen whispered. Yami frowned and reached out to touch Yugi's face. Yugi gasped when the spirit caressed his cheek. He lifted his gaze slowly and looked into Yami's eyes.   
  
'Don't be afraid Little One. I will not hurt you,' Yami told him, in a comforting voice, his eyes soft and loving. Yugi tensed up as Yami reached for his hand again. This time he let the spirit take hold of it. He cringed as pain shot up his arm, but did not pull away. Yami was trying to be as gentile as he could. He carefully wiped off the blood, pausing when Yugi's hand twitched. 'Calm down. I won't hurt you. I promise," he whispered, softly rubbing Yugi's hand. He pulled out some cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around the hand. When he finished he held it for a while before letting it go.  
  
During the whole thing, Yugi relaxed completely, and didn't flinch. He slowly fell into a trance, and looked up at Yami. Yami noticed the dullness in his eyes, and became worried again. Suddenly the wind picked up again, and blew the snow everywhere. 'Yugi!' the spirit cried out, reaching towards his aibou. Before he could touch Yugi's face though, the wind surrounded them both and Yugi disappeared into the wind. When it was over, Yami looked around for his light, but couldn't find him anywhere.   
  
(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0)  
  
Yami fell out of the bed, reaching for his aibou. He got up and looked around. When he saw no threat, he sat back down on the bed. He placed a hand on his forehead, trying to dull the throbbing pain he got from falling off the bed. He sighed and got up and walked around.  
  
(It was another one of those dreams. Why do I keep having them? Everything is going wrong!) In blind fury, he punched the wall of the room, causing his knuckles to bleed. The shadows quickly covered his hand, trying to keep anything out. Yami watched as they latched on, and he grew angry again. He didn't know why, but he shook them off, and watched as they turned into wisps of smoke and disappeared.  
  
He left the room, and walked around aimlessly. Unlike others, only he and Yugi knew the correct path of his soul room. So no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get lost down the corridors, or halls, or walk through a door.  
  
He suddenly felt a knock on the door of his soul room. He didn't want to open it, so he stood still, hoping that Yugi would go away. He couldn't face his hikari, not after what he did.  
  
"Yami please let me in," Yugi pleaded, standing outside the door. "Yami please."  
  
(I'm sorry aibou. I must protect you from myself.)  
  
"Yami please, I want to talk to you," Yugi whispered. "Yami I don't care what happened! I don't mind, I swear! I'm not angry! Please just talk to me!"  
  
Yami said nothing, but leaned against the door, a single tear running down his cheek. (I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't.)  
  
Yugi placed his forehead on the door, feeling all alone. "I can't loose you Yami. I need you to be with me always. Don't leave me," he whispered before going back to his own soul room.  
  
Yami slid to the floor and stared off into the darkness. He watched the shadows slowly make their way towards him. He stood up and let them engulf him completely. He slowly faded away, until he disappeared.  
  
Yami projected his image next to Yugi's bed. He gazed lovingly upon his precious aibou wishing he could hold him in his arms forever. The spirit tenderly moved Yugi's bangs out of his face, and gently caressed Yugi's cheek. He smiled when his aibou nuzzled against his hand.  
  
Yami knew he had to be careful around Yugi. He didn't know what he would do the next time he lost control like that. The Pharaoh had promised to protect his innocent hikari, and he wouldn't fail, even if it meant giving up on his Love.  
  
(My Love,) Yami chuckled at that thought. (Yes, he is my Love. I just wish I could tell him that.) Yami sighed and came out of the puzzle. He sat on the bed, and passed his lips lightly over Yugi's, causing the teen to tremble in excitement. Yami hugged Yugi tight, and fell asleep.  
  
Yugi opened his eyes and looked up. He smiled when he saw the peaceful expression on Yami's face. He leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. He then cuddled into Yami's chest and fell back asleep.

* * *

Star: That's all I have for you guys today. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Can't talk much, so I hope you will all review to show how much you care. Bye! 


	9. Plans

Star: Hay everyone. Hope you missed me  
  
Yugi: ::walks in:: Hay Star!  
  
Star: Where have you been?  
  
Yami: ::walks in:: Taking your candy  
  
Star: ............No really  
  
Yugi: It's true  
  
Star: ...............::twitch::  
  
Yugi, Yami: O.o uh.....it was a joke  
  
Star: -.-  
  
Disclaimer: Star:................Why do you do this to me? Lawyers: ::evil grin:: Star: How could I have forgotten? You're the spawn of evil! I don't own Yugioh  
  
-------------------------------------Plans---------------------------------------  
  
The next day Yugi woke up alone. He looked at the watch and realized he had over slept.....which was not unusual. He saw a note next to the clock, and lazily reached over to grab it.  
  
Dear Yugi,  
  
I went down to the lobby to get something to eat. When you wake up, you can come join me if you want. (Provided you wake up before lunch)  
  
$$$$Love$$$$   
  
Yami  
  
Yugi smiled at the fact that his yami had decorated around the word love. He yawned and looked at the clock again. He didn't feel like getting dressed and going down to the cafeteria, so he decided to go on the computer instead. He pulled out his laptop and logged on to his screen name.  
  
"All right! Ryou's on," he said, as he sent a message to his friend.  
  
Chosen1: Hi Ryou! Whats up?  
  
BrittBoy: Nothing. How have you guys been?  
  
Chosen1: Ok. What about you and Bakura?  
  
BrittBoy: It's been ok most of the time.  
  
Chosen1: Most of the time? Put your webcam on.  
  
BrittBoy: Ok......its on.  
  
Yugi reached over and switched his web cam on. Instantly Ryou appeared on the screen.  
  
"Hi Ryou! Wow, nice place you're staying in."  
  
"Thanks. It's my dad's. The hotel you guys are at is cool too."  
  
"Yea. Lucky Grandpa reserved rooms early. So anyway, why did you say your vacation has been good most of the time?"  
  
"I caught Bakura burying a live cat this time."  
  
"You didn't say I couldn't do that!" yelled Bakura from the background. Bakura then appeared in front of the camera. "Did he say anything about burying cats Yugi?"  
  
"Well, no. But still..."  
  
"See! He agrees with me!"  
  
"Bakura! You're hurting my ears! Anyway, what have you and Yami been doing?"  
  
"We went snowboarding yesterday. He's pretty good at it, despite his little 'accidents'." Yugi said with a smirk.  
  
"Did you take the pictures?" asked a very interested Bakura.  
  
"Of course," Yugi said, his smirk getting bigger. He pulled out the camera, and looked for his favorite picture. "Here is one. Yami fell in a pile of snow." He showed Bakura the picture, and the spirit instantly fell to the ground laughing.  
  
"That's priceless! You have more?"  
  
"Duh! That was probably the only time I would ever be able to bring the camera with us. I'll show you another, hold on."  
  
Yugi spent five minutes showing them all the pictures of Yami. He naturally skipped his, showing only the embarrassing ones of his spirit.  
  
"Well, that's all I took. Ryou.....I have to talk to you about something important....alone."  
  
Noting the seriousness of Yugi's voice, Ryou agreed and told Bakura to go away. Bakura refused, but agreed to stay on the couch.  
  
"So what's the matter?" asked the boy, concern seeping into his voice.  
  
"Last night....something happened...between me and Yami."  
  
"Did you get into a fight?"  
  
"It wasn't a real fight. We were play wrestling, then it turned into a tickle fight, then......"  
  
"Then......?"  
  
"Then......Yami kissed me," he whispered that last part.  
  
Ryou eyes were filled with happiness, as he almost jumped out of his seat for joy. Bakura looked at him strangely and leaned in closer to hear the conversation.  
  
"So what happened after?"  
  
"Nothing. He got really freaked and disappeared into the puzzle. He came out around mid-night, but he left early today. He's downstairs in the lobby now."  
  
"Oh. So tell me, what was it like?"  
  
Yugi blushed as he described the feelings he got from that kiss. Ryou's smile grew wider, as Bakura let a little smirk appear.  
  
"But the thing is, I still don't know why he did that. I don't even know if he cares about me like that."  
  
"I know how you can find out," said Bakura slowly.  
  
"How?" both Ryou and Yugi said at the same time.  
  
"You really want to know?"  
  
"Bakura just tell him!" yelled Ryou, now impatient to help Yugi with his love life.  
  
Ok, ok. Just listen to me, and do everything I say."  
  
Fine," said Yugi as he listened closely. As Bakura told him more, a small smirk grew on Yugi's face. By the time Bakura had finished explaining, and evil grin was plastered on his usually angelic face. The same look was found on Ryou's face.  
  
"You have to do everything, remember."  
  
"I know. Thanks, I'll let you know if it works. I better go now, he'll be coming back soon."  
  
"Good luck Yugi," said Ryou, "And have fun," added Bakura before the three signed off. Yugi sat on his bed and smiled. This would be interesting. VERY interesting indeed.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Star: There, I ended it here. I spent a while trying to figure out if I should make it a cliffie or continue. I decided with a cliffie to make it more interesting. I hope none of you hate me because of it. Please review. Thanks ::hugs:: 


	10. Play Time

Star: Hay everyone! I'm back to put up another chapter! ::big smile::  
  
Yami: Why are you smiling so much?  
  
Star: ::evil smile:: Because I REALLY like this chapter  
  
Yugi: Why?  
  
Star: Just read and find out  
  
Yami: O.o o..k then  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. I'm not putting up a fight now, cause I want everyone to get to this chapter as soon as possible.  
  
(WARNING: This chapter has Yugi very ooc. If you don't like what happens in this chapter, please don't flame. But how can you NOT like this chapter?)  
  
Yami: What's that supposed to mean?  
  
Star: nothing...  
  
(I have a special announcement!!!!!!!!!!! This chapter has NEVER been placed on The story was removed before I could post this chapter, so everyone who read the story before it was removed get a new chapter too. For those who have read this on please don't give away the next chapters. I would like it to be a surprise for everyone else. Anyway, enjoy this BRAND NEW CHAPTER!!!)  
  
--------------------------------------------Play Time----------------------------------------  
  
Yami walked up the stairs slowly, in no particular hurry to get back to his room. He didn't want to face Yugi if his light was mad. Yami sighed, stopping outside his room. He knew he couldn't stall his return for too long, so he took a deep breath and walked in.  
  
"Yugi! I'm back!" he called out into the silent suite. He walked into the bedroom looking for his light. Suddenly he was attacked by a tri-colored streak. They both fell back on the bed.  
  
"Hi Yami!" said Yugi, giving his dark a bone-crushing hug.  
  
"Hello Yugi. It's about time you got up," the spirit mock scolded. He tried to get up, but found Yugi had pinned him to the bed. "Yugi?"  
  
"Yes Yami?" Yugi asked with an innocent smile. Yami immediately saw it was fake, and tried to get up again. His light was stronger than he thought. His eyes suddenly opened wide when Yugi straddled his hips. "Y-Yugi? What are you doing?"  
  
Yugi smirked, and leaned to whisper into the spirit's ear, "I'm having fun."  
  
Yami's breath hitched when he heard those words. He felt a chill go up his spine when the warm air blew on his ear. Yugi felt a shiver form the body under him, and smiled before nibbling on the lobe. Yami gasped loudly at the sudden feelings coursing through his body.  
  
Yugi nipped and bit at the tender lobe, and started a line of kisses down Yami's neck. He stopped at the junction between Yami's neck and shoulder. He removed Yami's choker, and continued to kiss.  
  
Yami was panting lightly. His light hand never acted like this before, so why now? Yami tried getting up again, but found it impossible. Either his hikari was much stronger, or the blood that rushed to his hips was making him weak. "Y...Y...Yugi," he said through breaths.  
  
Yugi smiled in the kisses. He was enjoying this a lot, but decided it was time to take it to a new level. He could feel Yami's erection growing under him, and decided to use that to his advantage. He slowly rubbed his hips against Yami's. Yami's eyes shot open as he gasped loudly. Another evil smile appeared on Yugi's face now that he knew Yami's reaction.  
  
Yami tried to hold back a moan as his arousal was pressed against. It felt good, no make that great! He wanted more contact, and as if to grant his wish, Yugi pushed their hips together, this time much harder. Yami tried to hold back another moan, but was unsuccessful. He let out a strangled moan, as he bucked his hips into the contact.  
  
Yugi continued his assault on the spirit's neck, slowly moving towards his mouth. The smaller one captured the lips in a heated kiss. Yami was too weak to fight back, so he let Yugi dominate the kiss. Yugi moved his tongue everywhere, mapping out the cavern of his love. He ground his hips against Yami's arousal again, causing the spirit to groan in pleasure. He slowly broke the kiss, nibbling again on the ear lobe.  
  
Yami was so overcome with pleasure, he didn't notice Yugi's hands were tracing patterns down his chest. He didn't notice that is, until Yugi's hands had stopped at his waist. "Y..uh...Yugi. What...a..are you.....mmm...doing?" he asked through moans.  
  
"Just having fun," he whispered seductively.  
  
Yami was now panting heavily as he tried to control himself. But Yugi kept crashing their arousals together, making it very hard for the Pharaoh to make a complete thought.  
  
Yugi then traced his fingers slowly on Yami's erection, making the spirit buck his hips again. Yugi continued to do this, making Yami moan every time. Yugi smiled again, extremely enjoying this. It was too late to stop though, because he was also aroused.  
  
"Yami," he whispered.  
  
Yami didn't answer him, barely moving his head in acknowledgement.  
  
"Yami, do you want me?"  
  
Yami's eyes flew open again, not believing what he heard.  
  
"Do you want me?" Yugi asked again, crushing his hips on Yami's very hard, making the spirit cry out loudly. Yugi didn't give him time to answer as he passionately kissed him again.  
  
Yami then felt Yugi slowly unzip his pants. His hips shot up again as his hikari lightly squeezed his length. He was completely hard now, and it was becoming painful. Yugi squeezed it harder, and he screamed out.  
  
Yugi continued squeezing his yami's length, taking pleasure in every scream that came out of his mouth. He felt Yami's body tense up and knew the Pharaoh's release was coming soon.  
  
Yami knew it to, but he couldn't hold it back, because his hard-on was extremely painful. "Y..Yu..ah..gi. I'm....I'm going....uhhh...to...ahhh!" He couldn't finish his sentence as he screamed out again.  
  
Yugi slowly got off of the weary body under him. He stood next to the bed admiring his work. "I'm going downstairs now. Come down when you 'feel better'." He kissed Yami lightly before walking out of their suite.  
  
Yami lay there panting heavily, trying to get control over his body. Yugi had left him there with no release, and he was in pain. He tried to concentrate on something else, but his mind kept replaying what had happened. He slowly fell asleep, too tired to do anything else.  
  
Downstairs, Yugi pulled out his palm pilot, and logged back on the net. He noticed Bakura was on, so he decided to tell him how things went.  
  
Chosen1: Hi Bakura  
  
KingofThefs: How'd it go?  
  
Chosen1: It was good. Yami's upstairs 'recovering'  
  
KingofThefs: What did you do to him?  
  
Chosen1: - You really want to know?  
  
KingofThefs: uh.....Never mind  
  
Chosen1: Well I better go now. This stupid thing is loosing batteries.  
  
KingofThefs: Ok, bye. Oh, are you gonna do it again?  
  
Chosen1: Maybe..... bye.  
  
Yugi turned off his palm pilot and walked outside, fully enjoying the day.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Star: Ok then. That's all for now.  
  
Yami: O.O  
  
Star: hehe  
  
Yugi: O.O o........k then  
  
Star: anyway, that was all I have for today. Please review, but not if you are going to flame. Thanks so much ::hugs:: 


	11. Wet Fun

Star: hay everyone!!! what's up? guess what!!! It's a new chapter!!! Aren't you exited??? This is probably my favorite chapter. Well.......the previous chapter was also good. Anyway, I just found my favorite author of all time SilverWing147 has me on her favorite authors list. That is so cool!!! I'm so happy I updated sooner than I planed.  
  
Yugi: so tell us, what happens in this one?  
  
Star: you'll just have to read like everyone else  
  
Yami: aww, pweaze goddess? chibi eyes  
  
Star: aww, so cute, but I won't give in  
  
Yugi, Yami: pout  
  
disclaimer: NO! I'm not giving in!! Lawyers: walk away Star: ha! i finally won!  
  
..............  
  
..............  
  
..............  
  
..............  
  
Star: looks around their gonna jump me aren't they? ok, I'm a little freaked now. I don't own Yugioh shifty eyes  
  
"speech"  
  
(Yugi's thoughs)  
  
((Yami's thoughts))  
  
/mind link/  
  
--------------------------------------------------Wet Fun------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Yami woke to the quiet sounds of the TV from the other room. He slowly rolled over and stared at the clock. Eight o'clock........eight o'clock!! Yami groaned and rolled on his back. He slept through the whole day all because of Yugi's......... Yami tried to keep himself from getting hard again as his memory replayed today's events.  
  
Yami looked over at the door and noticed his aibou standing there watching him with a smile. ((What's he up to now?))  
  
"Hello Yami. Did you have a nice nap?"  
  
"Yugi, now is not the time," Yami replied as he got up and stretched.  
  
"Aww, why not Yami? Do you still 'feel bad'?," Yugi mock pouted.  
  
Yami groaned and walked out of the room, hearing his aibou's snickering through their link. He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a soda. As he drank, he thought of possible ways to get revenge on the other without going to jail.  
  
"Yami."  
  
((I could blackmail him. I know almost all his secrets.))  
  
"Yami?"  
  
((I could embarrass him on a public...no a global scale.))  
  
"Yami?!"  
  
((What else could I do to him?))  
  
"Yami!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Are we still going later?"  
  
"Going where?"  
  
Yugi sighed and slapped his forehead, ashamed to call the spirit his yami. "To the show tonight? Remember? They've had fliers all over the lodge."  
  
"Oh that one. Is it too late?"  
  
"No. It starts in an hour. I'm ready, but you should get changed. You wouldn't want to go out like that," Yugi said, a smirk playing on his lips.  
  
Yami didn't have to look down to know what he was talking about it. He really needed to think of some revenge. His pride had been damaged, and there was no way he'd stand for that. Forget if was legal or not, screw the legal system, this was war! He would get his revenge!  
  
Yami strode past Yugi indignantly, wanting to get out of there fast. He wasn't fast enough as Yugi caressed his ass before slipping into the next room. Yami stood frozen in the doorway, forcing down the tingle he felt. No way was Yugi getting the upper hand.   
  
Yami quickly slipped into the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, his own crimson eyes boring into his soul. Yami slowly removed his jacket , not removing his eyes from his reflection. He slowly turned around and started the shower. He was going to use cold water this time, Ra knows he needed it......a lot.   
  
Yami removed his shirt and stood there watching the water flow. His mind was clouded with thoughts of Yugi. The image of his aibou straddling him, eyes full of lust was turning him on again. As he was thinking, he pulled off his skin tight leather pants, which was harder than usual, because of his new arousal.   
  
The spirit stepped into the shower, hissing as the cold water touched his heated skin, trickling down his flawless chest, and falling on his erection. His mind then produced an erotic image of Yugi standing in front of him, looking at him with his lust filled eyes that Yami just couldn't forget.   
  
"Yugi" the spirit whispered in his fantasy.  
  
The younger boy said nothing, but leaned closer to him and ran his fingers over Yami's length, causing him to gasp in pleasure. He leaned into the touch, needing more.  
  
Yami closed his eyes and reached down to grab his hardening erection. He slowly caressed it, imagining it was Yugi doing that.  
  
In his dream, Yugi lightly kissed down Yami's chest, causing the spirit to shudder. His fingers worked their way around the arousal, lightly squeezing every now and then.  
  
Yami leaned against the wall, his breaths coming out in short gasps now. Yugi blew on Yami's manhood, the warm air and cold water sending a feeling through him that he'd never felt before. Yami groaned at this feeling, bucking his hips in reaction.   
  
Yugi leaned closer and took the head of Yami's length in his mouth. Yami bucked his hips again, trying to get more of the heat. Yugi slowly took everything in his mouth, and started sucking on it lightly. Yami moaned loudly as he felt the pressure grow in his stomach. His light ran his tongue expertly around it, raking his teeth on the head, making Yami cry out in bliss. He couldn't get enough of these feelings, riding each wave of pleasure.  
  
Yami felt his release slowly approaching as Yugi's actions became more enthusiastic. He cried out again as Yugi deep throated him again. He couldn't hold it back any longer, and released his seed quickly into Yugi's mouth, who greedily lapped everything up. Yami slid down the wall, recovering from his orgasm. He heard Yugi call out his name, but it was faint. Suddenly it started growing louder and louder till....  
  
Yami opened his eyes with a start, looking around frantically, slowly calming his breathing. He felt a stickiness in his hand, and looked down. His eyes opened wide when he saw his hand covered in his essence. He quickly got up and washed it off him and the walls where it had gone.   
  
/Yami?/  
  
Yami tensed up when he herd his lights voice. /Y-yes Yugi?/  
  
/Are you ok? I've been calling you for a few minutes./  
  
/I'm fine. I was just.....day dreaming./  
  
/Ok....are you sure? You sound out of breath/  
  
/I'm fine, really. I guess it's the heat from the water./  
  
/All right then. The party starts in twenty minutes./  
  
/Ok. I'll be out in a few./ Yami took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. ((That was a really close one.)) Yami wobbly rose to his feet and stepped out of the tub. He turned off the water and reached for a towel. As he dried himself, he looked at his reflection again. This time he saw his face a deep shade of red, and noticed his length was hardening again.   
  
Yami groaned mentally as he touched it lightly. He could still feel Yugi's tongue on him, and that thought made him grow harder. Yami groaned again, as he finally admitted what he had been trying to avoid. It was true, Yugi did have the upper hand. But Yami was going to change that, VERY soon.   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Star: yay! that's done!  
  
Yugi: ::stares at Star:: O.O   
  
yami: ::perverted grin::  
  
yugi: ::stares at Yami:: x-x  
  
Star: anyway, I hope you all liked reading it as much as I liked writing it. I wasn't going to type anything for a while, but thanks to Linkin Park's song "Faint" I got into writing this. If you haven't heard it, you should. it's awesome. (although I have no idea HOW this song inspired me) Please review. ::hugs:: bye!!!!!!   
  
Cherazz22784 - I hope you liked this chapter....again. It makes me happy when people keep reading my stories, cause I know you still like me. Thanks  
  
Swift Tales - Thank you. XD That made me so happy.  
  
PaladinDragon - sorry if this chapter was a little shorter. They will get longer  
  
Mafdet-TK - lol. Thank you for sticking by me even after the whole 'story-getting-deleted-because-the-moderators-are-real-$%&#' deal  
  
Solar Senshi - lol, yea. I wanted to keep his innocence (didn't do a good job of it though) but I also wanted to make him more......I don't really know the word, but it's good right? XD  
  
CrazyAboutYugi - I hope you liked this chapter too. It was really fun writing this one.  
  
tears of a mermaid - I'm glad that you liked the last one so much, I hope this one was also good for you  
  
Drago-Kai - I'm sorry if the last one wasn't to your liking, but I hope this one was. If not, I'm sorry, but still tell me what you thought  
  
yyim - Thank you so much. It makes me happy that you added me to that. When I re-read that chapter I do the same. Sometimes I can't believe that I actually wrote that.  
  
kuroi-sakurapetals - Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you liked this one too.  
  
Jollenar -lol, yes. There will be a bit more of that........was that a hint? Oh well, I'm sure you figured it out by this chapter  
  
Lavender Insanity - Lol, I feel sorry for him too, and I put him in that position. Strange huh? Thanks for the promise  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami - lol, I'm always a crazy yaoi fan girl. (Yaoi forever!) XD  
  
MissDbzMedabots - Thanks a lot. I didn't want it to go far because then it just wouldn't be as good. So I decided to draw out their torment.......and also the readers, but hey, it's good right?  
  
Black-Caracal - Here's the update. I hope it's good.  
  
And thank you to everyone whose reviewed. I do this for you. Thank You!! 


	12. Unknown Love

Star: Hi everyone! I'm back for another chapter. Hope you didn't miss me too much.  
  
...................................................(cricket chirp)  
  
Haha, very funny. Anyway, I'll cut to the story and let you enjoy my work. Thanks in advance!  
  
Disclaimer: (looks around) where are those lawers? Have they given up?........I don't trust them. Better be safe, I don't own Yugioh.  
  
"speech"  
  
/mind link/  
  
(Yugi's thoughts)  
  
((Yami's thoughts))  
  
(0o0o0o0) = begining and end of a dream  
  
'dream speech'  
  
-----------------------------------------------------Unknown Love-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Yami and Yugi walked out of the elevator and headed for the main lobby. Yugi bounded outside, while Yami shuffled slowly next to his aibou. They sat in a back row and waited for the show to begin.  
  
Yugi looked over and saw Yami's sullen expression. "Hey, are you ok?" he asked while poking his dark in the ribs.   
  
Yami jerked at the pressure, but smiled at his light. Always caring about someone else. That's what he loved so much about him. "I'm fine. I just don't know why we have to sit outside in the cold for this show."  
  
Yugi smiled back, "Where would you rather be now?"  
  
"Where else? I'd rather be in bed right now."  
  
Yami looked over and saw an unsettling grin playing on Yugi's lips. /Really?/  
  
/Yugi?/  
  
/Yes?/ he replied slyly.  
  
Yami's eyes widened when he realized what Yugi was thinking of. /Aibou!/  
  
Yugi's grin only grew bigger at his dark's reaction.  
  
Yami faced away and stared at the other audience members. Soon, though, he felt a hand slide up his side. He tensed and moved the other way, but the hand stayed where it was.   
  
Yami's breath hitched as Yugi's slender hand slid lower till it rested on his hips. He slowly let his breath even out as his body relaxed. He wasn't going to let Yugi win this time. He would get back at him.  
  
The spirit sat there and let the hand move freely across his lower regions, willing his body to obey him and not his sex drive. He jumped slightly as the hand grazed over his manhood. He glanced at Yugi and noticed he was staring at a pamphlet with a straight face, acting like nothing important was going on, though Yami could see the grin fighting to get out.   
  
Yami decided it was time to get even for the scene in the bed and in the shower. He was humiliated twice that day, and here Yugi couldn't allow himself to draw attention.   
  
The Pharaoh moved his hand gradually over Yugi's and covered it. He felt the arm tense, but it quickly resumed it's movement. Yami took control of the limb, moving it where he wanted it to go. He closed his eyes and let a whimper pass through their link.  
  
Yugi looked over at his dark and noticed the usually dignified spirit pleasuring himself in a public place. He felt the other grow hard under his hand, and felt himself do the same. It was a good thing they were sitting in the back and that it was night, or they would have been caught a long time ago.   
  
Yami continued rubbing his light's hand against his erection, the motions becoming harder each time. He looked over at him and noticed Yugi's face was flushed and he was trying to cover his crotch with the pamphlet. Yami let out a small smile. The first part of his plan was working. Now if only he could stop long enough to continue with part two.  
  
Yami loosened his grip on Yugi's hand, which continued moving by itself. He slowly moved his hand up Yugi's arm and let it drop to his hip. The younger boy noticed this and stopped his actions. Yami let out a whimper of displeasure, and moved his hips against the other's hand, signaling for him to continue.  
  
Yugi hesitated, suspicious at his dark's action. (Why did he move his hand? What is he up to? What ever it is, it won't happen. This is one game he won't win.)  
  
Meanwhile, Yami was thinking the exact opposite. ((Why did he stop? Has he figured out my plan? I won't let him get away with this. I have never lost a challenge before, and this time it won't be any different.))  
  
With the thought of victory in both their minds, they continued where they had left off. Yugi's hand moved across his dark's erection, causing the spirit to moan his approval into their link, while Yami's hand started playing with the belt on Yugi's waist.  
  
Yugi involuntarily slid lower in his chair so that Yami could have better access, which the spirit quickly took advantage of. The older teen quietly slid the zipper half way open, with just enough for his hand to move freely. Both were panting heavily, fighting between the need to keep calm and under control and the urge to let their pleasure be voiced.   
  
Yami's hand was just about to enter the confines of his light's pant's when a voice stilled both their movements. They saw the snowboard instructor walking up to them, and they panicked. They removed their hands from the other, trying to act calm, though their flushed faces told the truth.  
  
"Hey guys, it's been a while," said the instructor as he walked up to them.   
  
Yugi put on a smile, "Hi. How have you been?"  
  
"I've been good. Business is great this week, so I've been busy. How about you two?"  
  
"We've been ok," replied Yami, trying hard to keep the fake smile on his face and not yell at the stupid instructor for ruining his chance.  
  
"Glad to hear," he said as a gust of wind blew across the mountain. "Jeez, I told them not to have the show outside, but they wanted to have something fun this year. I hope you guys aren't cold," he said looking at their rosy cheeks, secretly admiring them....well more like Yugi.  
  
"No, it's ok. It snows back home too, so we're used to the cold," Yugi said, unconsciously wrapping himself tighter to keep out the chill.   
  
"You sure? You can go inside if you'd like. They are going to play the show on the big TV in the dining room."  
  
"No thanks, we're fine," said Yami, getting annoyed that he wouldn't leave. He started to notice the teacher's eyes were constantly focused on Yugi. Yami could feel anger and jealousy rise from within him. How dare he look at his aibou like that?! No one would have Yugi but him. Yugi belonged to him and he wasn't going to let any one take him. ((If he doesn't leave soon, I'm just going to send him to the Shadow Realm and get it over with.))  
  
"Well, I better get going. They expect all staff members to help with this thing. I hope you two enjoy the show," he said, walking past them and placing a hand on Yugi's shoulder. Yugi tensed lightly, while Yami stared at him with fury burning in his crimson eyes.   
  
As the teacher walked off, the two teens started to relax slightly. They had almost been caught. It was too risky to continue here, and they knew they should stop.....but it was just to hard to resist the urges flowing through them.   
  
Yugi looked over at Yami and noticed he was glaring in the direction the instructor had walked off. /Yami?/  
  
He received no answer, so he tried the next best thing. He inched his hand over to Yami's crotch and squeezed his length. Yami jumped up with a start, but quickly moaned into Yugi's touch.  
  
The spirit returned his hand to Yugi's jeans, and slid his hand into the opening, coming to rest on his length. Yugi let out a small whimper, and moved his hips closer to Yami. The spirit wasted no time in pleasuring his light. Yugi's hand stopped in it's place as the younger teen let out a quiet moan into their link.  
  
A few seconds later, the announcer came up on the stage and announced that the show was starting. Yami and Yugi weren't really paying attention though. Soon the light's dimmed, giving the two even more cover from the sight of everyone.  
  
Yami smiled to himself, glad that his plan was working so far. If he wasn't enjoying torturing his aibou like this, he would have complained about the missing hand from his crotch.   
  
Yugi leaned his head back and let another moan rip through their link. He knew he should have stopped his dark, but his body wouldn't obey him. He yelled at himself for getting caught in such an obvious trap. Unknowingly, while he was thinking this, he let himself be completely controlled by his dark. Whether he liked it or not, Yami had the upper hand.  
  
Yami stared intently at his aibou as he continued to stroke his length. He noticed how Yugi's eyes were glazed over, and were focusing at nothing. He felt a smile move across his lips but what he didn't know was how sadistic the smile really was. He was enjoying doing this to his light, enjoying how he was the reason his innocent light was a heap in the chair all because of his actions. Maybe he was enjoying this too much.   
  
Yugi tensed up suddenly, feeling his release approaching. He knew he couldn't stop it, but he didn't want to have a full orgasm in public. The show was still going on, and though they had missed half of it, Yugi was in no hurry to stop and watch. His body stiffened again as he tried to tell Yami through their link, but it was impossible for the poor boy to get even half a word out.   
  
Yami smiled more as he felt the body convulse under him. He could tell his light was trying to hold back his orgasm, but it wasn't working out. He tried drawing out the torture as long as he could, but knew it wouldn't be long before Yugi gave out. He slowly retracted his hand, leaving Yugi confused. Yami stood up suddenly and started to walk away.  
  
Yugi stared at his dark's retreating back, and was more confused and growing anger. /Yami, where are you going?/  
  
/Back to the room. This is really boring,/ came the reply, as the spirit stifled a yawn.  
  
Yugi's anger grew at that response. Boring? Boring!! He thought that was boring?? He got Yugi all worked up and then said it was boring?! No way would he stand for that. Yugi got up slowly, and painfully walked back into the hotel, following the spirit up to their suite.  
  
Yami was jumping inside. He had shown his hikari that two can play at that game, and he was not going to loose. He lay on the couch and closed his eyes, while Yugi shuffled in.   
  
"You don't look too good Yugi. Maybe you should go take a shower," Yami said, not opening his eyes.  
  
Yugi just grumbled as he walked to the bedroom. "Shower. I'll shower him," was all that could be heard as the younger teen walked back to the bathroom. As he passed the couch, he hit Yami in the face with his towel, causing the spirit to growl playfully. "That's not nice Little One."  
  
Yugi just glared at him till he closed the door. Inside, he stripped himself of his sweat-dampened clothes, and stepped into the shower. He turned on the hot water and stood under the flow of water, eyes closed, letting his tired body soak. While he stood there he thought back to everything that happened this week.  
  
For one, he finally got to visit the mountains again. It had been a while since he came here with his grandfather, so it was fun being back. Second he discovered deeper feelings for Yami. He didn't know how it crept up on him, but he had always admired the spirit for his dignity, grace, and his caring soul. He never thought it would turn into love, but.....he was happy with the changes. Third, he discovered Yami could be a bigger ass than he thought.   
  
Yugi chuckled at that last thought as he lay down in the tub, letting the water rain down on his body. Fourth, he had seduced his yami twice. He had only planned to do it once, but it was just so tempting, not to mention it felt great to feel the Pharaoh's strong body turn into mush underneath him. Fifth, and most importantly, was the dreams. As much as he wanted to forget them, he just couldn't. The Yami in his dreams, and his Yami were different......but in a way they were both the same.  
  
They both had those eyes that sent fear up anyone's spine. Yami had never looked at Yugi like that, so he was extremely frightened in the dream. They both had that dangerous sense about them, but in the real world that sense was replaced with a more mysterious, intriguing feeling that Yugi had come to know and love. The dream version showed his dangerous side, which Yami never let out when he was around Yugi. In the waking world anyway.  
  
Comparing the two yamis made Yugi very tired. He slowly drifted into slumber, curling up in the tub as the warm water continued to rain on him.  
  
(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)  
  
Yugi walked through the snow covered forest slowly, still in a trance. He sat at the base of a tree and looked down at his right hand. He touched the bandage that was covering the wound, and though a jolt of pain flew up his arm, he didn't react to it. Not even the fierce winds blowing against him could snap him out of his daze.   
  
He looked to the sky, wondering how he got there. The last thing he remembered was Yami in front of him. He was telling him not to fear him, then everything went black. He woke up alone, and had been wandering for a while. He didn't even know how he got the bandage on him, but he supposed Yami had healed him.  
  
Yugi looked back down at his hand and touched it again. He felt the pain again, but he didn't do anything. His empty eyes moved to his other hand and noticed a few cuts but nothing serious.   
  
'Don't be afraid Little One. I will not hurt you.'  
  
'Calm down. I won't hurt you. I promise,'  
  
He remembered those words. Those words, spoken in such a loving voice, coming from one who had said he hated him. Yugi didn't know what to believe. What was the truth? Did the Yami who cared for him speak the truth? Or was it the Yami who abandoned him? His dull eyes became even more blurred by hot tears that started to pile up in his violet eyes.  
  
Yugi shook his head, shaking away the tears. He wouldn't cry. No matter what, he wouldn't cry. No matter which Yami was real, he wouldn't shed tears over him. He couldn't be weak.   
  
In the blowing wind he thought he heard the sound of Yami's voice calling out to him, but he dismissed that idea. He looked at his reflection in a puddle of frozen water. He looked at his emotionless face and saw the cuts and bruises he had. He traced one down his left cheek. It was the same cheek Yami had caressed before. He could feel the warmth from the other's hand still on his face.   
  
Though he was still in the trance, he felt a smile tug at his lips. He curled up in a ball on the ground, and even though it was freezing cold, he felt warm. It almost felt like.....like Yami was holding him, protecting him from the harsh storm.  
  
(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)  
  
Yugi woke up to the water splashing on his face. He quickly sat up and looked at the clock on the sink. His eyes widened when he realized he had been in there for three hours. It was now 12:35. The teen got up and stepped out of the tub, shivering at the sudden cold air on him. He dried himself off and got dressed. As he brushed his teeth, he kept staring at himself. He noticed how he looked different. His face seemed a little more strained. He guessed it was because of the dreams. They had put a lot of pressure on him, and it was finally catching up. He just didn't know what to believe anymore. There were so many sides to Yami he couldn't tell which side to trust. For all he knew Yami might really hate him, but could just be hiding those feelings. Just because they had shared the same body and soul didn't mean that Yugi knew everything about his darker half.  
  
Yugi knew he shouldn't get his hopes up. Yami would NEVER care for him as much as Yugi cared for the other. It was just an act. They were friends, if that. Yugi would have to live with it. As much as it hurt him, he would have to give up on love...for now. Why did he have to fall in love with him.  
  
He walked out of the bathroom and quietly made his way to the bedroom. He saw Yami had just gone to sleep where he landed when he collapsed on his bed. He smiled slightly and lay down in his own bed. He turned over and lay on his side, staring out at the moon.   
  
"You shouldn't go to sleep without covering yourself. You might get sick," Yami suddenly said as he covered Yugi with a blanket. Yugi smiled again and burrowed into the warmth. Yami got under the covers and held Yugi's smaller body against his own. He burried his face in Yugi's neck and rubbed the younger one's back gently.   
  
Yugi sadly smiled at the action, knowing it was all an act. A little voice told him it was real, that Yami did care for him, but he supressed the voice. He couldn't live in a lie. But for now, no matter how much it hurt him, he would take part in the act. He let Yami cuddle his body, and caress his back. He let Yami hold him, touch him, feel him, but at a price. His happiness. But in a way, he was happy. Whether it was a lie or not, he would never forget the way it felt to be held like this. He could no longer deny that these feelings were love, and he would never stop loving his Yami. No matter what.  
  
Yugi slowly fell asleep, wrapping his arms around Yami's back, holding him closer. Yami though, stayed up all night, watching his precious aibou sleep. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful and serene he looked. The spirit leaned down and kissed him lightly, and whispered into his ear, "Good night, my koibito."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Star: Yes! He did call Yugi his koibito! I'm sorry if it got a little depressing at the end, but I couldn't have three chapters back to back about nothing but the two teasing each other. But now it will be easier for them to admit their feelings.....or will it? To find out, please read on. Review if you love me. From now, there will be an update every two days.  
  
swift tales - Lol, I'm glad you like this story that much XD Hope you liked this update.  
  
Ruth - Thanks so much (hug) I hope you liked Yami's revenge.  
  
Yami Neferbre - I'm happy you think this is funny. Yami loosing at anything is pretty strange, so why not put it in. Hope you liked this chap.  
  
DazzlinShorty - Thanks for that review. Hope you liked this chap  
  
BlackWolfOfHell - Thanks a lot. Here is the update. Hope you liked  
  
Cherazz22784 - (hugs) Thanks so much! That means a lot to me. XD I promise there will be updates all around. Anything with Yami and Yugi is hot. XD  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami - Thanks a lot. Linkin Park is so cool. I love their music video for Breaking the Habit. It was so cool being made anime style  
  
MissDbzMedabots - Lol, Yami was naughty in this chapter too, but you have to love him for that. So his revenge plan wasn't that original, but hey. What goes around comes around, right? Yea, Faint rocks, but I still don't know how it inspired me. Hope you liked this one.  
  
Maftet-TK - Lol, I'm glad you got that reaction from that chapter. Heres the update. Hope it's as good as the last one.  
  
Sansi - Thanks so much for sticking with me here. (hugs) I will stay here, but I'm trying to follow the rules better. I love your story "The Power of a Wish" I'm going to read the others too. (Yami/Yugi rocks!!!) Lol. I promise to update on aff soon.  
  
kuroi-sakurapetals - Yami would look hot in anything XD I'm glad you liked. Heres the new one.  
  
solarsenshi - You're right, there has been a decline in angst, but it will come back, as you can probably tell by this chapter.  
  
Drago-Kai - Lol, you're right. Yami doesnt' usually daydream, but I didn't want him to be too.........serious in this one. After all, he has to make Yugi fall in love with him (if he wasn't so blind he would realise he doesn't have to try) Oh, btw (hugs) Yay!! Thanks so much for adding to your favorites.  
  
tearsofamermaid - Lol, thanks so much. Glad you liked it so much XD I'm glad you think I'm good at writing, but there are some people who are much better at me. But it still makes me happy that you think I'm that good. (big hug) 


	13. Happy Yet Sad

Star: Hay everyone. I'm back for another chapter. It has been less than two days but I didn't want to wait too long before updating. Good for you guys, huh?  
  
Thank you BlackWolfofHell for being my 100th reviewer! (big hug) This chapter is for you. And thanks to everyone who reviewed.  
  
Oh, another thing, can you believe it's only been three days since they went on the vacation?? Really! I'll show you  
  
Day 1- Shared Tears (one chapter)  
  
Day 2- Snow Fun (first chapter) Hugs and Kisses (second chapter)  
  
Day 3- Plans (first chapter) Play Time (second chapter) Wet Fun (third chapter) Unknown Love (fourth chapter)  
  
So seven chapters equals three days, which is good because that means I have to think up some "interesting" things for them to do for the next four days. (insert evil, hentai grin)  
  
Anyway, let's get on to the story!!!!!!!!!!  
  
disclaimer: I'll try to break it down for all you (idiot) lawyers: me no own, you no sue.  
  
-------------------------------------------Happy Yet Sad------------------------------------------------  
  
Yugi shifted in bed only to find a solid object in his way. He was still deep in sleep so he couldn't remember what it was. Without opening his eyes, he ran his hands over the object, trying to figure out what it was. He felt the warmth drifting off the thing. It was hard under his touch, but in a way, it was soft and comforting. His hands took a mind of their own and ran themselves all over, feeling the object in different spots. It wasn't until the object moved that he finally opened his eyes a crack.  
  
His eyes grew huge when he saw his hands running themselves over Yami's body, feeling places that he should have been nowhere near. He had to force his hands off the smooth, lithe body of the Pharaoh next to him, and lay perfectly still, holding his breath. (I can't believe I just did that! He would have killed me if he found out!)  
  
Yami was pretending to sleep, enjoying the feel of his aibou's hands, but was partially happy that he stopped, because if he hadn't he might have lost all self-control. He waited for a few minutes to let his light relax, and then moved ever so slowly. He turned his head to face Yugi, and opened his eyes. He saw Yugi was just lying there with his eyes closed, panting heavily, and a huge blush covering his face. The spirit smirked and moved over till his body was touching Yugi's.  
  
Yugi froze when he felt the muscular body press against his. Soon he felt an arm slide around his side and pull him close. Yami leaned over and placed his head on Yugi's chest. The hand that was at his side started slowly stroking his side. The slow, calming motion made Yugi relax, and soon he was enjoying the action. He ran his hand through Yami's hair leisurely, eliciting contented purrs from the spirit. Yugi could feel the purrs through his chest, making him sleepy again.   
  
Sensing this, Yami sat up and placed Yugi in his lap. Yugi was surprised to find himself suddenly in Yami's lap but shrugged it off, and wrapped his arms around the spirit.   
  
"So, what are we going to do today?" he asked as the Pharaoh started stroking his sides again.   
  
"Well, we have four days left till we have to go back home, and we can only do something so many times before it gets boring so how about..............how about we just spend all day here?"  
  
"In here? But won't that be even more boring?"  
  
"Oh so spending time with me is boring to you?" Yami asked, a fake scowl playing on his lips.   
  
"You know what I mean," responded Yugi as he rubbed his nose against Yami's nose, causing the spirit to laugh. "Ok, we'll stay in for a few hours, then can we go for a walk?" he asked.  
  
"A walk? Where would you walk? It's just a big forest out there. There's nothing interesting about that," said Yami as he looked out the window at the forest in the distance.   
  
"Please Yami? Pretty please?" asked Yugi, giving Yami a cute face.  
  
"No, it's too cold. Besides that will be even more boring than staying inside all day."  
  
"Please Yami? I really want to go," said Yugi, making an even cuter pouting face.   
  
"No, it's dangerous. Who knows what's out there?"  
  
"But Yami I really want to go. It's all I'm asking you. Please just this once?" begged Yugi, making the saddest, most adorable face he could. Yami could never resist that face.  
  
"No, because....well......it's just........" The Pharaoh was starting to crack.  
  
"Why not Yami? You're so mean. I'm just asking for a little walk, but you don't care. Just cause you don't want to," Yugi said, tears falling down his cheek. He got off Yami's lap and sat down in a chair, curling up in a ball, hiding his face.   
  
"I can't believe you're so mean. It's just a little walk." Yugi was laughing inside. It was a gift he was incredibly cute, and that he could cry when he wanted. He had once tricked Jou into buying him a movie ticket, saying that Jou had borrowed all his money. Jou cracked at the first tear. If Yugi hadn't told him his plan, Yami would have killed Jou for making his aibou cry. Of course Jou hadn't actually borrowed all his money, but he didn't feel like giving up his entire allowance in one day. Of course he did feel guilty afterwards and paid him back.  
  
Yami was shocked, and stared at Yugi's sobbing body for a minute, till he finally rushed over and pulled Yugi into a massive hug. "Hush Yugi. Don't cry, I didn't mean it. We'll go on the walk I promise."  
  
"P-promise?" Yugi asked between fake sobs.  
  
"I promise," said the spirit, holding the smaller body close to his.  
  
"Great! I'll go call a guide now," said Yugi as he jumped out of Yami's arms, tears completely disappeared. He rushed out of the room, leaving the Pharaoh confused. Yami's shocked face turned into a smile, which soon turned to giggles, until he finally started laughing. Yugi walked in and stood there watching his yami have a laughing fit.  
  
"What's so funny?" he asked walking over.  
  
Yami didn't reply but yanked Yugi into his lap and held him close. Yugi was surprised to find himself again in Yami's lap so suddenly, but he didn't mind as he cuddled up to Yami's body, taking pleasure in listening to Yami's laughter.  
  
When Yami stopped laughing, Yugi looked up at him, a smile on his face. "Now that you've finally stopped, what are we going to do?"  
  
Yami thought about it for a while, then looked down at his hikari with an evil glint in his eyes. Yugi's eyes widened as he scrambled to get off of Yami's lap, but he wasn't fast enough as Yami grabbed him, threw him on the bed and started tickling him. (we all know where this is heading)   
  
Yugi started squirming under the Pharaoh, who had straddled him. (I'm not going to laugh! Not this time!) His determination was strong, but both knew it was only a matter of time before Yugi would start laughing uncontrollably. Yugi was moving around so much that Yami fell off. The younger teen took the opportunity to run into the kitchen, trying to keep from laughing. He hid behind the counter, grabbing an orange to throw if he needed to.  
  
"Oh Yugi? Where are you?" called Yami slyly. The spirit walked into the kitchen, with a pillow hidden behind his back. "Come on Yugi. I just want to play," Yami called again, his voice low and sexy, trying to gain Yugi's trust.  
  
(As if I'm going to fall for that.) Yugi took a deep breath and jumped from behind the counter. He threw the orange at Yami's head, and ran out into the living room, grabbing two more oranges.   
  
"Yugi!! How dare you!" Yami called as he ran behind his light, a huge smile on his lips. "Now you have to be punished," he said as he hopped over the couch, landing in front of Yugi. Yugi backed up and threw another orange.   
  
"No way are you getting near me!" he said with a laugh. Yami caught the orange and threw it back at Yugi who dodged it. Yugi ran behind the couch trying to catch his breath.   
  
/Come on Yugi. I thought you wanted to have fun,/ Yami said as he slowly walked towards Yugi. He purposely swayed his hips seductively, causing Yugi to stare hypnotized at them. He watched as they moved back and forth, not noticing how close Yami was getting till he spoke through their link again. /Yugi, just give up./  
  
At those words Yugi snapped out of the trance and stood up. /No way! You can't win everything!/  
  
/We'll see about that!/ said Yami before jumping on top of Yugi and tickling him mercilessly. Yugi couldn't keep it in anymore, so he started laughing uncontrollably. Yugi started squirming under Yami's body again, causing certain things to happen to the Pharaoh's body that he would rather not admit. If Yugi didn't stop moving, Yami wouldn't be able to control his actions. The spirit currently had the upper hand, so who knows what he could do with that power, especially when his adversary was weakened and in a very accessible position under him. Suddenly, Yugi pushed up, causing their manhoods to crash against each other. Yami gasped and stopped tickling him for a second. Yugi knew why he had stopped, and took advantage of the pause, and escaped again.   
  
Yami got up and stormed off in to the kitchen. A look of fury was on his face now, as he dropped the pillow. ((He did that on purpose! He knew what all his movements were doing to me! That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy!))  
  
When he stepped through the doorway he was hit in the face with a white creamy substance. (not that stuff) He wiped it off to find Yugi holding a can of whipped cream, smiling happily. Yami looked at the whipped cream, then at Yugi. Another evil plan formed in his head. He would have lot's of fun with this.  
  
"Is that the best you've got Yugi?" he asked as he wiped the cream off his face, licking it slowly off his hands. "You have to do something better."  
  
Yami made a show of taking the whipped cream off his face and licking it off his fingers. Yugi just stood there, his defense weakening as he watched the captivating scene in front of him. Yami started to make his way towards the stunned teen. He stood in front of Yugi, and put a dot of whipped cream on his lips. Yami watched as a pink tongue slid out and licked it off. He again put a dot of whipped cream on his lips and watched as the tongue took it off. All the time Yugi was staring at Yami, not taking his gaze away from the deep crimson eyes.   
  
Yami then placed his entire finger, which was covered in whipped cream, on Yugi's lips. Hesitantly the tongue came out and flicked at the creamy digit. Yugi became more bold and slid his tongue around the finger, drawing it into his mouth. Yami had to remember to breathe as the tongue wrapped itself around his finger. Yugi was now finished taking the cream off, and was playing with the finger. He was nibbling on it lightly, tasting the sweet digit even though there was no more cream.  
  
Yami's breath started to come out in quick pants while he gazed at his light. He looked enchanting standing there, his hair all messy, his pajama shirt fallen off one shoulder. His face was red from all the running, drawing attention to his eyes which were shining brightly. Just looking at him was making the Pharaoh become hard. Yugi was gorgeous, he could never deny that, but he would never love Yami. Not the way that Yami loved Yugi, with all his heart and soul. Yugi was just his friend. No, they were more than that, but they would never be lovers, no matter how much Yami wanted it. Yami was not as handsome as Yugi despite what people in his time and in this time thought.   
  
Yugi slid the finger out of his mouth, going inch by inch so the sweet flavor could linger. The finger rested on his lips again, not moving an inch as the two boys looked at each other, both panting. Yami leaned in slowly, aiming for the ruby lips, wanting to claim them again. He had gotten infatuated with the taste when he first tasted them, and desperately wanted to taste them again.  
  
Yugi didn't move and just let Yami run his tongue over his lips. He parted them enough to let the tongue dart in. Yami practically died when he felt the heat of Yugi's mouth. He tasted like whipped cream with a hint of strawberries, not a bad combination. He explored the deep cavern, not missing any spot.  
  
The kiss ended quickly, and when Yami pulled away, Yugi hung his head slightly. Yami stared at his aibou confused. ((Why is he acting all sad? A minute ago he was laughing.))  
  
"Yugi? What's wrong?" Yami asked, tracing a finger across Yugi's perfectly sculpted jaw line. Yugi sighed and walked away without answering. There was nothing wrong. Nothing if you skipped the fact that Yugi was breaking inside. That kiss stabbed into his heart. By letting Yami get so close to him, he had opened himself up completely. Now he was paying for it, but as long as Yami never left him he could bear the pain. He could live with the heartache and the sadness, as long as Yami was around to distract him, even if it was for a few minutes.  
  
"Yugi? Is something the matter?" Yami asked again, sensing that his aibou was suffering from something.   
  
"No, everything's fine," he replied quietly, walking to the bedroom and closing the door behind him leaving Yami to go over what had just taken place. ((What is wrong with him? Was it something I did?)) Yami walked to the door and gently opened it. Yugi was sitting on a chair just staring out into the wilderness. Yami walked over and saw his eyes were glazed and unfocused. He frowned and sat down on the floor next to him.   
  
"Yugi, did.....did I do something wrong?" Yami asked, a slight touch of fear in his voice.  
  
"No, it's not you."  
  
"Then will you please tell me what's troubling you? I'm very worried," he said.  
  
"I'm fine. I'm just thinking about things. Don't be worried about me," he replied, not moving his gaze from the outside. Yami frowned but placed his head on Yugi's knee, staring outside also.  
  
Yugi slowly reached down and stroked Yami's hair. He hated himself for making Yami's vacation turn bad, but he couldn't keep it in any longer. He had to do something before the pain killed him.   
  
"Yami do.....do you know what it's like to love someone so deeply but know they'll never return those feelings?" Yugi asked quietly, not really wanting to find out Yami's reaction.  
  
Yami's eyes widened for a second before he replied, "Yes. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because.......because I also know the feeling. Every time I see the person, it hurts inside. But I can live with the pain as long as he never leaves."  
  
"Yugi..."  
  
"Every time I see him, I fall in love with him even more. And I do. I love him with my entire soul, but it hurts knowing he'll never love me."  
  
Yami turned his head to face Yugi. He saw Yugi had hung his head, with his bangs covering his eyes. He could tell Yugi was crying, though he tried to hide it. ((So he loves another. I should have known. I shouldn't have hoped he'd love me. Someone like him deserves better than I can give him.))  
  
"I know how it feels. You hope that one day he finally reveals his love for you and that you can be with him forever. You want that to happen, but knowing it never will slowly kills you inside. I've had to live with it too," Yami said turning his head around to face the window again.  
  
Yugi said nothing, but sat there quietly. He knew that Yami loved someone, but hearing him say it cut through him. (Why would he love me?)  
  
"I can live with it though," Yami continued. "As long as he's happy, I can go on. If he's suffering, the pain gets worse. That's why I try to do anything to make him happy, even if it means my pain grows worse."  
  
Yami lifted his head from Yugi's knee and looked at him. Yugi still had his head lowered so Yami cupped his chin and raised his face till he could see his aibou's eyes. Yugi avoided Yami's gaze, looking at the floor, tears still falling gently down his soft cheeks.  
  
"You are strong Yugi. You will get through this. If he loves you he will tell you, but no matter what happens, you can't give in to the pain. No matter how unbearable it seems, you can get through it."  
  
Yugi moved his eyes to face Yami. He looked deep into Yami's scarlet eyes. He reached out and touched the Pharaoh's cheek lightly. Yami smiled and nuzzled the hand, doing the best he could to comfort his precious light. Yugi looked at him before smiling slightly. He leaned over and grabbed Yami in a hug, holding tightly on to the spirit as if he was his life line.   
  
"Yugi..." the spirit said sadly before returning the hug.   
  
(It's not fair! Why did I have to love someone so perfect? I love you Yami! I can't stand it! It hurts so much, but I love you! Why did it have to be you?)  
  
Yami sat there, holding his aibou closely as Yugi's tears silently fell down his cheeks. Yami couldn't bear to see his wonderful light in such pain, so he kissed his forehead gently. "Don't cry anymore Little One. Not even true love is worth so many precious tears. It pains me to see you like this. You will be happy no matter what path you choose. Do not worry."  
  
Yugi sighed quietly before wiping away the last tear. (I will only be happy if I'm with you. But I will live on so you won't be sad. Besides, I will always be with you one way or the other.) With that thought, Yugi hugged Yami once more before pulling away.   
  
"You are right. I shouldn't be so sad. As long as I can be near him, I'll be happy. Even if I never tell him how I feel, I'll be ok."  
  
Yami smiled and stood up. "I'm glad you are better Yugi. I never like to see you cry, it hurts me too."  
  
Yugi smiled back then frowned, "I'm sorry Yami."  
  
"For what?" he asked, confusion on his face.   
  
"For everything. For making this vacation so bad."  
  
"Are you kidding? This has been the greatest time of my life. Nothing can compare to this week. Being here with you has made it even better."  
  
"Really?" Yugi asked, a hopeful look sparkling in his amethyst orbs.  
  
"Really. But I don't want you being sad for the rest of the week. If I see another tear there will be consequences," Yami said, crossing his arms in a serious pose. The laughter in his eyes broke his seriousness though.  
  
Yugi crossed his arms and mimicked Yami's expression. He stuck his tongue out before saying, "You're not the boss of me."  
  
"Wanna bet?" Yami asked, a challenge gleaming in his eyes.  
  
"I'd like to see you try," Yugi responded, accepting his challenge.   
  
"You asked for it!" Yami said before chasing after Yugi. Soon the laughter of the two boys filled the suite.  
  
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Well, that's all for now. I'm going to be writing the next chapter in a few days so I hope you all watch out for it.  
  
Sorry if it got a little angsty in the middle, but I had to get them moving. It will be easier for them, I promise. As I said before, I'd never let anything happen to them. Please review!  
  
Cherazz22874 - Lol, Yami is pretty sneaky. I'm glad you liked it, and I will update the other very soon  
  
SoulDreamer - Thank you. I'm glad you liked. Here's your update  
  
BlackWolfofHell - I'm glad you think it was funny. It got angsty cause I couldn't let them continue like that, but I'm glad you liked it. Thanks again for being my 100th reviewer (hugs)  
  
MissDbzMedabots - (hugs) Thank you for putting me on your fav list. Of course I would read your story. I'm sure it will be good. Thanks for that review. It seems you took a lot out of that chapter and thats good. I'm happy when my readers are happy. Thanks again.  
  
DazzlinShorty - Lol, yes. The instructor is very aggravating, but he will play a part so you can't hate him too much....yet (btw, I just gave out a hint. But keep it quiet XD)  
  
swift tales - Thanks for reviewing. I hope that you think this chapter is as good as the others. Yes, Yugi was a little sad, but it makes for a good romance story, right?  
  
solarsenshi - Thank you. You're so nice to say that, but I think that I could be better. But anyway, hope you like this chapter.  
  
Pork Steak the Grande - LOL. XD Their both that stupid, but hey, their cute so you can semi-forgive them. Actually, I already have this story posted up on Over there it has I three chapters more than here, but I'm not updating there till I update all of them here. Btw, thanks for the cookie!! I hope you update 'Summer Lovin'. That is a cute story. (hugs)  
  
Mafdet-TK - Thank you! I'm glad you liked. Thanks for the two reviews. The instructor was aggravating wasn't he? I put him in to make it more interesting. Lol, but anyway. Yami was mean to Yugi, huh? But it made it good chapter right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing. 


	14. Persuasions

Star: Hi everyone! I was so happy because of everyone's reviews I decided to update this story now. Thank you all for those great reviews. (hugs all readers) I'm so happy I could cry. Actually, those reviews were funny. Almost all of you called them idiots or stupid. I was cracking up. XD  
  
disclaimer: You can't sue me!! Wanna no why? Cause I have no money, so take that lawyers!! Hahaha! I have no money for you.........wait, no money isn't a good thing.   
  
----------------------------Persuasions----------------------------  
  
"Man, I'm so tired," said Yugi as he plopped down on the couch. He buried his face in a pillow as he felt a weight fall on him. Yugi mumbled something before feeling the weight lift off.  
  
"What did you say?" asked Yami as he placed his head on Yugi's back.  
  
"I said you're heavy and I can't breathe."  
  
Yami chuckled as he got up and sat on the floor next to his light. Yugi turned to smile at his dark, then flipped on his back and stared at the ceiling. Soon his vision was blocked by tri-colored hair as Yami lay on top of him, and buried his face in Yugi's neck. Yugi just smiled and pulled him into a tight hug.  
  
"So what are we doing now?" asked Yami as he closed his eyes.  
  
"Well, we're going walking later, remember."  
  
"Aww, you still want to do that?"  
  
"Yes! You promised you'd come with me, and you are going."  
  
"Couldn't you have picked something ?"  
  
"No!" Yugi said as he pushed his dark half off him and stood up. "You promised and you are going to keep your promise. Do-you-understand?" Yugi said as he poked Yami with each word.  
  
"But we have four days to freeze. There has to be something to do here in the hotel. We could go to the hot tub," Yami replied with a playful smirk.  
  
"Yami, we are going. You can't back out."  
  
"But why? Why do you want to walk around a bunch of trees? What if we get lost?"  
  
"We can't get lost, and you are going. I'll make you go, and don't think I can't, cause I will."  
  
"Fine, but you have to do something for me."  
  
"I already spent the day in here with you. Now you have to do something I want. Or......is it that you don't care what I want."  
  
"Oh no. I'm not falling for those fake tears again. There is no way you can trick me this time," Yami said as he got up and turned his back on Yugi so he wouldn't see the tears.  
  
"Yami please. Pwetty please with sugar on top? If you care about me you would do this," Yugi begged in his cutest baby voice. This voice could melt the coldest hearts. No one could resist and Yami was no exception.  
  
Yami said nothing as he stood there not facing his light. He had to be strong and not give in to his aibou no matter how much he wanted to. Soon he felt arms slide across his waist, but he didn't react. He had to be strong.  
  
"Pwease? Pwetty Pwease? It would make me really happy," Yugi continued as he lay his head on Yami's back. He could tell the Pharaoh was starting to break. Just a little more and he would be putty.   
  
Yami continued to stay silent as he avoided looking at Yugi. The spirit was fighting between the urge to take his light in his arms and never let him go, and the urge to take him right there on the couch. He was slowly loosing control, and soon he was just going to snap. He could already feel his legs turning into jell-o. ((I can't give in! He's not going to get me this time. I just have to ignore him.))  
  
Yugi hugged his yami tightly and tried to coax him more, but soon realized that wasn't going to work. He scowled as he placed his forehead on Yami's back. He had to think of something to break Yami...........then it dawned on him. The perfect way to 'persuade' him. Hey, it had worked the last two times he tried it, and he did say he was going to do it again. Besides, he'd still have fun even if Yami didn't change his mind. The scowl was replaced by an evil smile, very uncommon for Yugi, but it seemed to appear more and more often nowadays.  
  
"Yami...." Yugi whispered in a husky voice as he felt the Pharaoh's body stiffen. Yami's eyes widened a little. He knew that voice. It never meant good news. Now he definitely couldn't give in. He really needed to concentrate on something else.   
  
"You know, if you do this for me, I promise to pay you back. I'll make it WELL worth the time you spent," Yugi said quietly, running his hands up the spirit's body.   
  
Yami's eyes widened completely this time as he drew in his breath. Yugi had no idea what those words did to him. Suddenly millions of thoughts flew into his mind of how he could use that promise to his advantage. It wasn't fair! Yugi shouldn't be allowed to do that to him.   
  
"Just do this one thing for me, and I'll do anything for you. And I mean ANYTHING," Yugi said seductively, his hands resting low on Yami's hips, ready to "persuade" him more if need be. "What do you say? Deal?"  
  
"F-fine," was all Yami could say.  
  
"Great!" said Yugi as he gave Yami one more hug before letting go and walking into the bedroom. "Let's leave in about......an hour and a half, ok?" was the last thing he said before closing the door and leaving the spirit alone to deal with his thoughts.   
  
Yami sat down on the couch. A smile appeared as he thought of more ways to take advantage of that promise. He was going to have a lot of fun with what he had planned, even if Yugi didn't agree with him.   
  
He lay down on the couch and closed his eyes, hoping to get a little sleep before he had to go out and freeze his butt off. He was asleep for a few minutes before he felt Yugi crawl on his chest. He could tell Yugi was watching him so he opened his eyes and stared deep into the amethyst orbs he loved so much. He would get lost in those eyes time and time again. He was the most beautiful thing the spirit had ever seen. All the beauty of the gods was in this one boy, and Yami was fortunate enough to have him. His heart may belong to someone else now, but Yami never gave up on what he wanted, and this was no exception.  
  
He suddenly needed to taste Yugi, so he would know that such perfection was real, and not just a wonderful dream. He slowly leaned closer, not taking his eyes from the angel that was lying on top of him. He needed the sweet flavor that was Yugi's. The spirit lightly brushed his lips on Yugi's, sending flames to every part of his body. He leaned in again to capture his light's lips, but before he could Yugi turned his head away. Yami was confused but quickly realized why he turned away. Yugi loved another, and Yami shouldn't do those things.   
  
"Let's get some sleep before we go, ok," Yami said, trying to stop the silence before it became uncomfortable.   
  
"Sure. I heard that all the paths lead to the middle of the forest where there is a big lake. They say it's great for skating. Maybe we-"  
  
"Let's just sleep now," Yami said, cutting him off by placing a finger on Yugi's lips. Yugi smirked and kissed the finger lightly. Then he took a blanket and placed it over them, snuggling into Yami's body and falling asleep.   
  
Yami watched his light sleep, gently caressing his cheek. Sometimes Yugi was so innocent and sweet, and Yami just wanted to hug him forever. Other times Yugi surprised him greatly. Those times his sweet little aibou turned into an irresistible, seductive devil -though he wasn't complaining-. He loved both sides of Yugi and always would. He looked down at the sleeping angel on him and smiled, kissing his forehead gently before letting sleep take over.  
  
Yami slept for an hour before waking up. He looked around the room then at the tuft of black, gold, and ruby hair that was sticking out from under the blanket. He smiled as he moved the blanket back, revealing Yugi's sleeping form. Yugi looked so peaceful, holding on to Yami's shirt. He didn't want to ruin the image, he wanted to keep this in his memory forever.  
  
The spirit leaned his head back to look outside. It was one of those perfect days where the sun was shining brightly, and the wasn't a cloud in the sky. The perfect day to be outside. Yami groaned. ((Great. Now I have no choice but to go. Someone one must want to ruin my day..........probably Bakura.......or maybe Malik and his psycho yami.))  
  
Yami looked down at Yugi as the smaller boy cuddled closer to his dark. ((I don't want to wake him. He looks so peaceful, but he'll be mad if I don't.)) Yami gently shook Yugi trying to wake him. "Yugi, time to wake up," he whispered into his aibou's ear.  
  
"Five more minutes," Yugi mumbled as he yawned and held on to Yami's shirt tighter. Yami couldn't help but smile. This was one of the times that Yugi made his heart melt. He was the embodiment of innocence and purity. He couldn't love him more. He had to tell him that, but he didn't know how Yugi would react. ((Maybe I should just tell him.))   
  
"Yugi wake up. You wanted to go walking right?"   
  
"Uh huh," Yugi replied sleepily.   
  
"Then you need to wake up. Come Little One, just open your eyes."  
  
Yugi slowly opened his eyes and closed them a few times, before opening them fully and staring at Yami's smiling face. He rubbed his eyes and yawned cutely, making Yami's heart melt more.   
  
"What time is it?" Yugi asked as he yawned again.  
  
"It's three thirty. We've been asleep an hour."  
  
"Oh....ok," said Yugi as he closed his eyes again.  
  
"Little One, don't you want to go walking?"  
  
"Yea....just give me.......a minute," Yugi said as he fell asleep again. Yami chuckled as he carressed Yugi's cheek. After a few minutes Yugi opened his eyes again and slowly got up. He stood straight and stretched as far as he could go. His shirt lifted, showing off his delicate, creamy stomach. Yami tried to keep his eyes from staring at it, but found it very hard. His hand twitched slightly, wanting to reach out and touch it, but he used all his will power to keep it still. He had to tell Yugi soon, he just couldn't keep it in anymore.   
  
"Yugi, I have to tell you something."  
  
"Yes?" he asked, twisting around so he could face Yami while he stretched.  
  
"I......I think.....I mean, I know....."  
  
"What is it?" Yugi asked, waiting patiently while Yami found the courage to say it.  
  
"I....I lov.......I...." Yami sighed as he got up, and stood next to Yugi. He smiled and looked into Yugi's eyes. "I'll tell you later."  
  
"Are you sure? You can tell me anything, you know that."  
  
"Yes, but now is not the time."  
  
"Ok, but tell me when you're ready." Yugi smiled back at Yami and walked to their bedroom. "We better get everything ready. It's perfect outside, and I don't want it to start snowing or anything."  
  
"No, Ra forbid that we get stuck in the warm hotel," mumbled Yami to himself.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing!" Yami said, faking a laugh. ((If he heard me say that I'd be dead.))  
  
"I'm ready. Grab your stuff and let's go," said Yugi as he walked out of the room. He walked to the window and stared happily outside. "I'm glad I got this time to spend with you. You're the greatest Yami," he said as he gave his dark a briliant smile. "I'm happy you're here with me."  
  
Yami walked over and pulled his light in a big hug. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm glad I got to be here with you too."  
  
Yugi hugged him back. "So when are you going to tell me what you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"I will tell you soon."  
  
"Is it a big secret or something?"  
  
"Maybe. Oh that reminds me, don't forget your promise."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I go with you, and in return you do anything I want."  
  
"Oh that one. Any chance you would overlook it?"  
  
"Not in a million years," Yami said, a sexy grin appering.  
  
Yugi smiled and stuck his tounge out, then walked into the kitchen to get his gloves. Yami watched Yugi walk away, missing the warmth his body provided. ((I will tell you soon, Little One. Soon I'll tell you I love you.))  
  
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Star: That's all for now. Sorry if you thought Yami was going to admit his love this chapter, but it's too soon.   
  
Yami: Hurry up will you! You keep putting if off!  
  
Star: -.-  
  
Yami: -.-  
  
Star: anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. Please review!!   
  
Cherazz2284 - I'm sorry. I don't want anyone to be sad cause of this. I want them to be all happy and perky like. . I said perky-like? And don't worry, I do the same thing. When something bad happens to someone, sometimes I laugh. I shouldn't, but sometimes I can't help it. Especially if it's on a tv show. But I'm getting off the point. I will update on aff, but it will be after all the chapters have been updated here.   
  
k-chans-dani - Poor you (hug) My Inuyasha story (which I need to update) was deleted cause of a lemon, so I know your pain. I hope you're ok, after all, I stopped the confession. Sorry, but I hope you liked this one.  
  
swtdreams07 - They are cute aren't they? That's why their my fav characters and my fav couple. Hope you liked this update  
  
PaladinDragon - yea, they are dum-dum's but thats what makes them cute.....and aggravating when they don't spill like in this one, huh?  
  
BlackWolfofHell - I'm honored that I even got to 100 reviews.Thank you so much. I'm even more honored that you say this is one of your favorites.   
  
Junsui-san - XD Glad you like so much. I know what you mean, even though I'm the author, I'm impatient to get those two together. Sad isn't it?  
  
Ruth - Those two seem to make everyone go insane with impatience XD But you know that saying. "Good things come to those that wait."  
  
DazzlinShorty - sorry, but I can't tell. XD But don't worry, It will be....good .  
  
solarsenshi - Lol, they are idiots. But you have to love them for that. There will be more fun between them, but I can't tell you what.  
  
MissDbzMedabots - Wow......wow. (is at a loss for words) Thank you. Thank you so much. That review was.......wow. What can I say but thank you. That was the longest review I've ever gotten. I just can't believe that anyone could like my story THAT much. (blushes) Wow, I feel special. I have to say thank you again. It's my fans that encourage me to continue, so....THANK YOU! (mega glomp)  
  
Amme - Lol. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make anyone cry. (gives out Yami plushie) Hope this makes you forgive me. X )   
  
tears of a mermaid - I'm glad you liked. Hope you liked this update as much  
  
Mafdet-TK - Many people ask the same question. My answer is......their both idiots. But I still love them XD Here's the update  
  
meowblecat - I would gladly knock their heads together, but then I wouldn't have any characters to write about. Anyway, I promise happy chapters later on, so you don't have to worry.  
  
Yami Neferbre - I love doing that to my readers, but don't cry. It will get better.  
  
Pork Steak the Grande - XD Everyone seems to be insulting those two. But for a good reason......I guess. And in return for the cookie (hands you Ryou and Bakura plushies) You have to update Summer Lovin. It's just too good not to update! Anyway, thanks for that review. (glomps back)  
  
fluffys-sidekick - Lol, your another one who wants to hurt them. XD To tell you the truth, this has never happened to me (the whole relationship thing) I'm just wingin it. Strange isn't it? Anyway, hope you liked this one. 


	15. Snowy Steps

Yaoigoddess: Hi everyone! Hope you all liked my other chapter, and I hope you all like this one! Sorry it took long to update.  
  
Yugi: Long? It's only been two days! How is that long?  
  
Yaoigoddess:..........-.-  
  
Yugi: O.o  
  
Yaoigoddess: (tackles Yugi) You're so cute when you act all smart like that! But don't correct me! (glomps him to death)  
  
Yugi: ok, ok.........wait! What do you mean 'act all smart like that'!  
  
Yaoigoddess: Isn't he adorable? (pats Yugi's head)  
  
Yugi: -.-  
  
review replies  
  
craig - thanks, and I hope you like this update  
  
fluffys-sidekick - He almost said it, but it seems like he didn't have enough courage. But it got things moving.  
  
Amme - Yay! More Yami and Yugi plushies. I so happy! Tank-ku. Hope you like this next one  
  
BlackWolfofHell - The confession is coming, but I can't tell you when. XD I think Yami's afraid now. And thanks, I will update my Inuyasha one soon.  
  
swift tales - hope you like this update  
  
Red Dragon of Egypt - XD Lol, your reviews were funny. Thanks for the two. Yami is dumb, but hey, it makes him cute, ne?  
  
Seth Zelter - Don't (fake) cry. I update soon, see? What can I say? I hate lawyers, they won't let me even borrow Yugi. TT  
  
Cherazz2284 - Yea, Yugi is different in this one, but it makes him hot.   
  
Dragonite Himura Reincarnate - The answer to your question is about to be revealed. Hope you like how it turns out.  
  
strawberry poo kmoo - thanks. I happy you think this great story (is to lazy to type correctly, sorry)   
  
Dragi - I hope you think this chapter is as cute. Hope you like  
  
(the rest of the review replies are at the bottom)  
  
disclaimer- If by now you still can't tell that I don't own Yugioh, then you're not cut out to be lawyers.  
  
!!!!!!!!IMPORTANT!!! At the end of the chapter is information about a vote that I need my readers to particiapte in. Please read it, it will help with the end of this story.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
--------------------------Snowy Steps--------------------------------------  
  
The boys stepped out of the hotel doors and into the brisk air outside. The sun shone on the snow, making it a blinding white. They held their jackets closer as the wind blew gently against their skin. Then they headed off towards the woods, following the path that they chose.   
  
As they entered the woods, they were amazed by the simple beauty it radiated. The trees were covered in a blanket of pure white snow, which contrasted perfectly with their dark brown barks. A few trees still had some leaves, which stuck out from the snow. The sun shone through the cracks in the branches, illuminating their path. The path itself was full of footprints, indicating the previous travelers that had walked this way. The boys could hear the voices of other people far ahead of them. But the sound of the birds chirping drowned out the loud voices, surrounding them in a peaceful environment.   
  
After a few minutes of silence, Yugi looked over at Yami and noticed his serene expression. He smiled and lightly nudged Yami's elbow, causing the spirit to look over at him.   
  
"This isn't so bad is it?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I'll admit, it's better than I thought it would be," Yami replied, looking forward again.  
  
"And you thought it would be boring," Yugi said, looking up at the sky.  
  
Yami chuckled and looked over at Yugi. Yugi looked so happy, and Yami was glad that he came. He stopped walking suddenly, causing Yugi to look back in confusion. "Yami?"  
  
Yami smiled and swiftly picked Yugi up, causing the younger one to cry out. "Yami! What are you doing?!"  
  
Yami didn't answer, but kept walking, holding his light closely to him. Yugi just stared at the spirit confusedly. "Yami? What's with you?"  
  
Yami continued walking on, a smile on his face. Yugi shrugged it off as Yami going insane, and just lay in his dark's arms while Yami carried him. After a while Yugi became restless and started squirming about. Yami was becoming very distracted, and stopped.  
  
"It's hard to carry you when you're moving so much, you know."  
  
"I wouldn't be moving so much if I was walking on my own. Why are you carrying me anyway?"  
  
"I can carry you if I want."  
  
"And if I don't want to be carried? Then what?"  
  
"Too bad. I feel like it, so sit still."  
  
"No," Yugi said, starting to climb out of Yami's grip, which only made the spirit hold him tighter.   
  
"If you want to walk on your own, you'll have to escape from my grip. And I seriously doubt you can," Yami said with a smirk.  
  
"Yami...."  
  
"And none of your fake cuteness either."  
  
Yugi gasped and put on a hurt face. "You don't think I'm cute? That really hurts," he said, turning his head away from Yami.  
  
"None of those fake tears either."  
  
"Oh come on! You just know you can't resist them."  
  
Yami chuckled and started walking again, ignoring his lights protests. Soon Yugi calmed down, and stared into space as they slowly went deeper into the woods. Yami looked down at him and noticed his far off expression. He lightly poked his cheek, but when he didn't get a response, he poked him harder.  
  
The spirit stopped again and stared at his hikari. He leaned his face in closer and stared into Yugi's eyes. The bright violet eyes were dulled and not focusing on anything. They reminded him of how they were in those dreams. Yami shuddered slightly as he remembered those images that plagued his sleep.  
  
The Pharaoh looked at his light again, trying to figure out how to get him to snap out of his daze, when he got a thought. He knew he shouldn't do it, but he couldn't think of anything else. He leaned in closer and whispered into Yugi's ear, "Sorry about this," before dropping him into the snow.  
  
Yugi suddenly found himself lying in a pile of snow, with his dark staring at him. "What the......?" he said as he wiped the snow off his hair.   
  
"Sorry, but you were just staring into space."  
  
"For your information, I was thinking!" the smaller one said, trying to get up, but finding the fall had hurt him.   
  
"What could you possibly be thinking that made you act like you were brain dead?"  
  
"...........shut up, and help me up."  
  
Yami said nothing, and helped his light up, noticing the red tint that covered Yugi's face. "Yugi are you ok? You looked flushed." Yami couldn't help noticing that the red tint got deeper after he said that.  
  
"L...let's just go ok," Yugi said storming away. Yami stared at him for a few seconds before following. Yugi was extremely embarrassed that he was almost caught. (Damn imagination!) he thought as he blushed even more. Hopefully Yami wouldn't catch on.   
  
While Yami was carrying him, Yugi had started to think of ways to escape. Suddenly he found his thoughts were starting to change. They went from escaping Yami's arms, to how strong he was, to how his body was built, to his body squirming under him in pleasure, to thoughts of him under his dark as the spirit took him for the first time. That's when he found himself buried in the snow. There was no way that he was going to tell Yami.  
  
While those images flew back into his mind, he started to feel his face getting redder and redder. Yami noticed, and grabbed him, spinning him around to look at him. He stared into the deep violet pools that refused to meet his gaze. He leaned in closer and placed his forehead on Yugi's. The younger boy finally looked into his darks eyes. Yami searched for an answer, but couldn't find one, so he took a guess. "You're blushing."  
  
Yugi's eyes widened enormously at those words. (WHAT!! How does he know!!) "I....I don't know what you're talking about. Let's just continue ok?" he said, putting on a fake smile.   
  
"Not till you tell my why you were blushing."  
  
"Oh look. This sign says only a mile and a half before we get to the lake. We better get going if we want to get there before dark," Yugi said walking away quickly. (Damn. Damn. Damn.)  
  
"I will find out Yugi," Yami said as he caught up with him.  
  
(That's what I'm afraid of.) "Find out what? I don't know what you're talking about"  
  
"You are a horrible liar Yugi," Yami smirked at him. "We both know that I'll find out, so you might as well tell me now, because I doubt you want me to find out the other way."  
  
"I seriously don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"If you say so Little One," Yami said, an unsettling smile on his face. "But sooner or later, the truth will be revealed."  
  
(If only I could tell you the truth Yami, but I don't want to loose you.) "Sure," the younger one said sarcastically, as he kicked some snow at Yami.  
  
The spirits eyes gleamed with mischief as he kicked snow back at his light, who giggled and ran ahead. Yami laughed and chased after him, eventually catching him and tackling him to the ground. They were soon covered in snow from head to toe, as they playfully wrestled. Their melodic laughter was the only noise that could be heard in the quiet forest, and anyone who stumbled upon them would think it was two angels playing in the snow.  
  
Yugi tired after a while and just sat on the ground, wiping the snow from his hair. His hands were pushed away as two other hands took their place, gently trailing through the soft locks. The boy sighed happily as he leaned back into Yami's arms and let his dark continue. He softly started to hum a tune while Yami listened closely. His sweet voice enchanted the spirit, making him feel calm and peaceful. He forgot everything as he was held captive by the silky voice of the angelic creature in his arms. He closed his eyes and placed his head on his aibou's shoulder, letting the music lull him into a dream-like state.  
  
When Yugi finished, he looked over at the Pharaoh and smiled. He looked so tranquil sitting there, with a smile gracing his handsome face. The younger one lightly nuzzled the other's cheek, rousing Yami from his trance. Yami slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at his aibou. Yugi smiled and nuzzled his dark's cheek again, causing him to smile as well.  
  
"You sing beautifully my aibou," said Yami as he held Yugi closer.  
  
"Do you really think so?" Yugi asked as he played with one of Yami's bangs.  
  
"Of course I do. Your voice is beautiful just like everything else about you," the spirit answered, closing his eyes again. Presently he felt two arms wrap around his waist, drawing him into a hug. He could feel the joy flowing through their link as Yugi hugged him tighter. Yami was filled with delight that he made his hikari so happy. The spirit hugged him back, then scooped him up in his arms, and stood up.   
  
Yugi wrapped his arms around his yami's neck and cuddled into the spirit's embrace. Yami held him close as they started walking again in silence. After a while Yami looked down at the gorgeous boy in his arms and smiled to himself. ((You shall always be my beauty.))  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Yaoigoddess: Ok. I had a big debate......with myself......on if I should end it here or add more, but in the end I chose to end it here. Sorry everyone! But I want to pace everything.  
  
Yami: If you keep pacing it so much you'll have 100 chapters before the end!  
  
Yaoigoddess: (thinks) you're probably right   
  
Yami: I know I'm right.  
  
Yaoigoddess: O.O Stay out of my head  
  
Yami: (mumbles) I don't have to  
  
Yaoigoddess: -.-  
  
Another thing. If any of you thought Yami was going to kiss Yugi to get him to snap out of his daze, I was originally going to have him do that, but then decided this would be better. And wasn't it? It did lead to a fluffy ending, so everyone's happy..............right? Though the chapter itself is shorter than the author notes. Sorry.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One last thing. I want your opinion. Who do you think should confess their love first? Yami? Or Yugi? I was going to pick it myself, but it got too hard, so I'm letting my readers decide for me.   
  
Review and vote, and I'll be back with another chapter soon!!   
  
more review replies  
  
darkyamilover - Lol, that was a funny review, but they will confess soon, so you don't have to worry.  
  
DazzlinShorty - Sorry, but I can't say what his part will be, but don't worry, it'll be........good (clue)  
  
swtdreams07 - They are idiots. I think the freezing temperatures have frozen their brains, or whatever. XD Sorry, I can't make them too smart, well not yet. (this is a clue for a future chapter)  
  
Chibi Serena - Lol, what you think might happen, or might not. Just have to wait and see....or read. Yay! Thank you for putting me on your fav list  
  
Ruth - Lol, their too thick headed and stubborn to admit it. You should put your story here. I'm sure it will be good  
  
tears of a mermaid - lol, I like how you freaked in the review. XD Thanks for that review  
  
MissDbzMedabots - Thank you for another long, and wonderful review. I can't find words to describe how happy I am that you think so highly of both my story and myself. No review, no matter how short or long can ever be simple to me. It shows that people out there care, and I just wish I could do more than just say 'thank you' in the chapters. So until next time, THANK YOU! (glomp)  
  
solarsenshi - I know, I know. Everyone seems to hate the fact that he didn't say it last chapter, but it would have been too soon. And don't worry, the instructor will be back  
  
Mafdet-TK - Sorry, but I guess I love leaving it at places that make my readers want to kill -me- to read more. XD   
  
meowblecat - The confession will come soon, but it can't be too soon. Don't worry, I have everything planned out in my head, so it won't get boring. Don't die, or you can't read it. XD  
  
Yami Neferbre - Lol, calm down. Everything will happen in due time. XD 


	16. Too Many Questions

Star: HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope everyone will.....enjoy...this chapter. (evil smile)  
  
Yugi: DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER!!! DON'T READ IT! SPARE YOURSELVES! DON'T (bang::thud::crash)............(silence)  
  
Star: - That's better. No distractions, right Yami? Do you have something to say?  
  
Yami: O.O (shakes head slowly) (whispers) I'm scared  
  
Star: (pschotic grin) On to the chapter! Don't worry about Yugi. He's a little......tied up at the moment  
  
Yugi: . help  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh. Start reading!  
  
Ok!!! Here is the result for the vote so far!  
  
Yami - 24  
  
Yugi - 5 (big competition, huh?)  
  
Ok! Thank you to everyone who voted, but it's not over yet!! You have to vote again. I know it seems pointless, but I need more votes. So vote at the end!  
  
review replies  
  
craig a - That would work, but they've done too many times already. But it was a good sugesstion. Thankz  
  
PaladinDragon - Lol, it would be a change if he said it first.   
  
Cherazz2284 - It would be a cute chapter. Yugi would look so adorable after that, don't you think?  
  
Dragonite Himura Reincarnate - Yugi is the innocent angel and Yami is the seductive devil.....at least that's my take on it. XD  
  
BlackWolfofHell - Yami would be very surprised. That's a good idea  
  
MysticJunebugs - Lol, many people would probably kill me if I said I was going to stop writing this for a while (WHICH I'M NOT!) But they just have to wait. Can you tell I love torturing people? XD  
  
DazzlinShorty - Thanks for that. Hope you like this one  
  
darksoul-of-the-mind - Lol, I don't want to drive anyone crazy. But it might be a few more till the end. Thanks for telling others about this story.  
  
Angie - Lol. That review was extremly funny. You think I have a great sense of humor? That's funny. People told me I have a sarcastic sense of humor, but I don't know if that counts. Being a vamp would be cool. I don't have to go to school  
  
k-chans-dani - Don't die on me! I don't want to be sued or anything (I have no money T-T) Obviously they can't tell their in love. I promise they will confess.....relatively soon  
  
swtdreams07 - Sorry for the short chaps, I'm trying to make them longer. I'm glad you like the fluff stuff.  
  
puffin - That was close to what Yami said. I'm glad you remebered that. X ) Here's the update  
  
Sansi - Thankyou. XD I don't mean to keep it off too long. I have everything planned out in my head.  
  
Alima8314 - Lol. I don't like putting Yugi through so much heartache, but everything will be better in the end. Scouts honor (which doesn't mean much since I was never a girl scout. But I normaly promise)  
  
meowblecats - You're right. I don't want to follow other stories. I want to carve my own path, but it's pretty hard not to stray into that part. But everything will work out. Yep, I try to update as fast as I can.....just cause I don't want angry fans jumping me in dark alleys.  
  
kaibasassistant - The blond bangs that hang infront of Yami and Yugi's face. The gold bangs that look like lightning bolts. Sorry if you were confused.  
  
(more at bottom)  
  
One last thing! (audience groans) Don't worry! It'll be fast. I just saw a screenshot for a future episode of Yugioh where Yami and Yugi kiss. They full on touch lips and KISS!!! Take that non-believers!! YAMI/YUGI LOVE FOREVER!!!!!!!  
  
---------------------Too many questions----------------------  
  
Yami walked onwards through the woods, holding Yugi in his arms. Neither said a word enjoying the last moments of silence. As they had gone on, the voices of others had grown steadily louder. It finally crecendoed as they walked into a clearing and looked at the lake, watching the multitude of people enjoying their day.   
  
Yami stopped and let Yugi slide out of his arms. They smiled at each other, wordlessly agreeing to race to the ice. The boys took off, their laughter gently floating in the air after them. They were tied until Yami pulled ahead and, as usual, won.  
  
"Ha! No one can beat me!" Yami said proudly as he stood at the edge of the water. Yugi walked up and pushed him into the snow, an aggravated look on his face. "You brag too much, you know. And don't forget, I won the race downhill on the snowboards."  
  
"That doesn't count! I told you-"  
  
"You lost. Get over it," Yugi said a smirk on his face. Yami pulled Yugi down into the snow next to him. "Come on. Let's get the skates," Yugi said with a smile as he got up and reached out a hand to help his dark up. Yami scowled at him and threw snow at him, but grabbed his hand and stood up next to his light.  
  
Yugi smiled more and dragged him over to the skate rental booth. "Let's just hope you know how to skate. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," Yugi said, gracefully glide out onto the ice. Yami smirked and followed him, copying his movements flawlessly. Yugi growled and turned his back to Yami, muttering something about 'stupid pharaohs who think their so good at everything'.  
  
Yami chuckled and skated forwards. In truth, he didn't know how to skate but he wanted to show off for Yugi. Why? He didn't know why, but for some reason he wanted to prove himself to his hikari.   
  
The spirit was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't hear Yugi call him. He only noticed when Yugi wrapped his arms around him. He looked down and saw the amethyst orbs full of confusion and concern. Yami couldn't help but chuckle and playfully messed Yugi's hair. "I'm fine aibou."  
  
"You sure? Cause you've been acting strangely all day."  
  
"No I'm.....what do you mean strangely?"  
  
Yugi giggled cutley and let go, skating away. Yami stood there confused and watched his aibou skate in patterns. He skated towards his aibou, but when Yugi saw him coming, he skated away. Yami raised an eyebrow, and followed him, doing his best to avoid hitting the other skaters. ((Why are there so many people here? It seems like everyone in this Ra damned hotel came here today.))  
  
The Pharaoh continued to follow his hikari all around the lake. If he sped up, then so would Yugi, and if he slowed down, Yugi would skate so slow, it was almost as if he was teasing him. Yami growled and sped up again. He thought he was gaining but suddenly Yugi turned to the left and cut through the middle of the lake. Yami groaned and started to chase after him, but decided he was tired of following. ((Let him go off, he'll have to come back this way anyway.))  
  
Yugi skated to the edge and looked back, expecting Yami to be following him. He was surprised when he saw him skating leisurely on the other side of the lake. (What? Fine then, let him skate. I'm too thirsty to continue anyway.) Yugi went on a little farther till he reached a small cafe. He sat at one of the tables and ordered a hot chocolate. Yugi watched his dark skate peacefully across the ice. It looked like he was showing off. Yugi sighed. "He really brags too much." But he couldn't help watching him gently float across the ice. He was so graceful and agile, it was mesmerizing.  
  
He watched Yami while sipping his drink. He was thinking more pleasant thoughts about him when a voice interrupted his thoughts.   
  
"Yugi?"  
  
The boy in question looked up only to find the snowboarding instructor standing there. (a/n:from now on I'm calling him Kyoji) He smiled at him even though he wished for him to leave.   
  
"Hi Kyoji-san."  
  
"Please don't call me that," he replied with a laugh, "It makes me sound so old. I'm only nineteen."  
  
"Oh, sorry. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Me and a few friends had the day off, so we decided to come here and relax. You here with Yami?"  
  
"Yea. He's out there skating.....somewhere."  
  
"Cool. So what did you think of the show?"  
  
(Show? What's he......Oh!) "It was good."  
  
"Really? I thought it was a little boring, but it's not my opinion they look for," Kyoji said smiling. Yugi smiled back and soon they were in a light conversation. Yugi looked over and saw Yami was talking to some people also. They must have been Kyoji's friends because they all wore the same hotel jacket. He smiled inwardly, but wished he was out there with Yami.   
  
Yami was wishing the same thing, as he semi listened to the people in front of him. He had been skating over to sit with Yugi when they came up to him, asking him if he was the Duel Monster's world champion. When he had said yes, they became really exited and started asking him other questions, like how he got so good, or what it was like to duel the former world champ Seto Kaiba. When he told them that Kaiba was just an ego-centric maniac, they broke out in laughter. Yami sighed and looked over at Yugi again. The jealousy he had started feeling grew some more as he saw that the instructor had moved just a little closer.   
  
"So what was that whole 'god card' thing? That was a major topic after Battle City ended," asked another one of the group. Yami turned his attention back to them and answered simply, "It's much too complicated to explain."  
  
"Where did you get them? There are only three of them, and you, Kaiba, and that freaky blond dude had them all!"  
  
"You wouldn't believe me even if I spent hours telling you. But we don't have them anymore. We gave them to the freaky blond dude's sister to take care of. I don't know where she put them though, but they're not at their house." (a/n: I know that Yami kept them after BC, but let's just move on)  
  
"Wait. You mean you've been to his house? I thought you guys were enemies. You two are friends now?"  
  
"Well not really friends. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that my friend Ryou's....brother is friends with him, and that my other friend is dating Kaiba.........and for the fact that we all go to the same school and have almost all of the same classes, I would never see them."  
  
"You poor guy. It must be torture,"  
  
"You don't know the half of it."  
  
Yugi and Kyoji were talking about random things when he fell silent, almost as if he wanted to say something, but was afraid to. Yugi noticed the nervous vibes coming from him, but didn't say anything. He was about to go on to another topic, when the older boy interrupted him.  
  
"Yugi are.......are you doing anything tonight?"  
  
Yugi's eyes widened as his mouth hung half way open. Did he just hear that? There was no way he had asked that. Kyoji was three years older than him, there was no possible way he would ask that.  
  
"I'm sorry, but can you repeat that?"  
  
"Will you go out with me tonight?"  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Star: Yes! He DID ask Yugi out. Do you readers hate me right now? Probably, but he asked Yugi out and that's all that matters. Why did I write that? I don't know. It's almost noon, I stayed up all night and I'm feeling hyper, so I felt like typing it. HAHA!!!! I made another plot twist.   
  
Does Kyoji like Yugi? Yes, but will Yugi accept? How will Yami react when he finds out? Who are those people that are talking to Yami? Are they just a distraction? Does pi equal 3.14? Who knows? Who cares?! Kyoji asked Yugi out!!!!!!!!! If you want to find out Yugi's response you can't kill me....yet. So HA!!! SUFFER!!!!  
  
Sorry for the short chapter. Please review and don't forget to vote. Who do you want to reveal their feelings first? Yami or Yugi? It's up to you. Ja for now!!!!!!   
  
more replies  
  
Pharaoh Kami - Personaly I think Yami's too stuck up, but that's ok. He has fun sometimes.   
  
swift tales - I'm glad you think I'm a great writer. XD That makes me happy. Don't worry, I promise not to have 100 chapters.  
  
fluffys-sidekick - I too wonder what Yugi's reaction will be. And I'm the writer. Sad, huh?  
  
tears of a mermaid - O.O...........XD I love your review! It was hilarious. Really? You think this is your fav? (Blushes) I'm so happy  
  
Aisslyn Goldleaf - You're right. is getting tougher the big meanies (I don't mean it! I love !) I like your suggestion......even if I didn't totally understand it.......oh wait! NOW I get it. Sorry. (slinks away in embarrasment)  
  
Pork Steak the Grande - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to update too fast. YAY!!! You updated Summer Lovin! That was a great chapter as you've probably figured by my review. XD (mega glomp) Thanks for the plushie! I LOVE it. Yami and Yugi together....doing things (dreamy sigh)  
  
solarsenshi - I;m glad you liked it that much. I try to put fluff in all my chapters. The confession will be good. But that's all I can tell.  
  
boozer4eva2b - Lol, don't hurt yourself. XD I don't know who it will be, so you gotta vote.  
  
Amme - YAY! Pocky! I love pocky! Tank-ku XD I'm sorry for the short chapters, but I'm trying to get them longer.  
  
Lavender Insanity - I'm glad you liked fluff. That is a good suggestion for the confession. Thanks for the idea.  
  
cry wolf - Lol, I'll try to move this along faster, but as you can tell by the end of this chapter, their in for a ride.  
  
darkyamilover - Lol, don't worry. I'm always hyper. Is that a good thing? Oh well. Thanks for the vote  
  
MissDbzMedabots - Yay! I especially love reading your reviews. They make me feel really good inside. Don't worry, the end won't be here for a few more chapters (not 100...hopefully. My brain will explode) I'm am again speechless that you like my chapters so much. Even after all these reviews, I still can't believe that anyone thinks I'm this good. I almost have 200 reviews and I'm still in denial. Lol, I guess I'm just weird. But still, thank you for reviewing. It means more to me than anyone thinks.  
  
Dragi - I hope this chapter was posted fast enough for you. XD I was actually thinking to hold off this chapter for another day, but figured everyone would kill me for being late  
  
Yami Neferbre - Lol, I actually like it when people freak out like that. It's funny and shows me you're really into this story. XD 


	17. Forced Decisions

Star: Hi everyone! If any of you got an author alert where I said I wasn't able to post, forget that. Thank you so much MissDbzMedabots for helping me with that. You have saved my life!!!! This chapter is dedicated to you!!  
  
And guess what!!!!!! This chapter no one-NO ONE- has ever read, so this is new for everyone!!  
  
Ok, ok. Because everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) wants the link to the kiss I will give it to you. Only four people have seen it so far: Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, solarsenshi, Chibi Pharaoh Yami, and my friend Khrystal. Btw, thanks again Pharaoh Atemu's Angel and solarsenshi for the pics and scans. They were super cute.  
  
Here is the link. I took the picture and put it in my album. The kiss is picture number 1. You can look at the other pictures too. Picture number 2 is the cutest thing I've ever seen.  
  
http:photobucket. com/ albums/v76/kuramasgrl/ ?action= view¤t;= YamiYugikiss. gif  
  
All you have to do is delete the spaces. I hope everyone likes it. I know I did. If that doesn't work, email me and I will send it to you through email.  
  
Anyway back to the vote:  
  
Yami - 34  
  
Yugi - 10 (it's obvious who won isn't it?)  
  
Thanks to everyone who voted. I don't know the ending yet, but at least I know who will admit it first. Sorry for those who wanted Yugi, but the voters spoke. I'll make one where Yugi admits his feelings first just for you guys.  
  
Also, they still are on their fourth day of vacation, so they have the rest of this day and three more to get together. So they still have time.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed (I'm sorry I can't reply to everyone)  
  
Amme - Sorry, but I felt like being evil. One of your suggestions is actually right, but I can't tell you what. Sorry. X)  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami - Thanks for those reviews. Hope you like this one  
  
Drago-Kai - Hope you like  
  
Kenshinfan21 - I'm glad you like. I hope you like the pic  
  
Mizu  
  
nikki - I'm glad you like this one. I usualy update every two days  
  
Yami Neferbre  
  
Pharaoh Kami - Don't worry, they will get together soon  
  
Jollenar  
  
k-chans-dani - I know what you mean. My other story was deleted cause of that  
  
Swtdreams07 - Sorry, but I wanted to end there. At least it made you want to read this one....right?  
  
Yami, king of a load of rubbish - XD lol, I'm glad you like this story this much.  
  
Red dragon of Egypt - Lol!! I LOVE your review. But you can't kill Kyoji yet (even I want to) You like Sorcerer Hunters? Tira and Carrot are so cute together, but my fav is Marron. He's hot. O.O You think I would hurt Yugi??!! NEVER! (glomps Yugi)  
  
Mafdet-TK - lol, you can hate him as much as you want. I don't mind  
  
HappyGlow - I'm happy I have a new reader. X) Makes me happy! Thanks for the review  
  
LarkaWhiteWolfOfDreams  
  
citcat-chan  
  
puffin  
  
Tears of a mermaid - Lol, I want to kill Anzu too, but I have to type. -.- not fair.  
  
Celesta - Hi new reader!! XD I would love to have a shrine to me, but you really don't have to do that.  
  
(the rest are at the bottom)  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own, lawyers can't sue; they hate me, I hate them too (horrible rhyme isn't it?)  
  
--------------Forced Decisions-------------(Yugi's pov)  
  
"I can't believe him!" I shout for what seems like the hundredth time in fifteen minutes. "He's such a jerk!"  
  
I kick the snow against a tree repeatedly before I sit down on the ground in a huff. The bark of the tree is uncomfortable, but I'm in no mood to move. If anything, I want to tear down the tree. Why? Because I am pissed. I glare at the hotel in the distance, silently cursing the person who got me this mad.  
  
Who is the person? Yami. Why? "Because he's a stupid, controlling ass!" I yell again. I turn my gaze to the forest floor and think about everything that just happened.  
  
-------Flashback-------(normal pov)  
  
Yugi stared at Kyoji, letting his words sink in.  
  
"You.....asked me out.....on a date."  
  
"Yes," said Kyoji hesitantly.  
  
"I.....why me?"  
  
"Because you're different from everybody else. You're smart, funny, talented-"  
  
"But.....me?" Yugi shook his head slowly. (I can't believe this. This so can NOT be happening.)  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"No, it's just, it was so unexpected."  
  
"So..........what's your answer?"  
  
"I think I need a little time to think about this."  
  
"That's ok," said Kyoji with a smile. "I have to go. Got to run errands. See ya." With that Kyoji walked away, leaving Yugi to stare into his hot chocolate.  
  
Yami sighed in relief as the group of people finally walked away. He thanked Ra and looked over to his hikari. His brow furrowed when he saw the expression on his face. ((If that idiot said anything to him, I'll hunt him down.))  
  
Yami skated across the ice and walked over to the table his aibou sat at. "Yugi?"  
  
Yugi looked up at his dark and smiled shyly at him. "Oh........hi Yami. How was your skating?"  
  
"It was ok. Could have been better if all those people hadn't kept asking me questions about Kaiba and Battle City."  
  
"And you didn't like bragging about all your accomplishments?" Yugi asked with a laugh. Yami smirked sarcastically at him and sat down. "So now that we've gone on your little walk and skated, can we go back?"  
  
"Aww, do we have to?"  
  
Yami glared at him causing Yugi to laugh again. The laughter was contagious, and Yami chuckled. "Come on, let's go."  
  
The two boys smiled and stood up. They walked away, taking one last look at the incredible sight of the lake and the people who skated its frozen, clear water.  
  
They walked in the woods for a few minutes in silence, basking in the peaceful silence after the many noises of the lake. Yami looked over at Yugi, wondering what the Kyoji loser talked to him about. His curiosity grew till he felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get an answer. He finally had enough, and asked as casually as he could, "So what did you and Kyoji talk about?"  
  
"Oh you know. Stuff," Yugi answered as best as he could with out telling Yami about the offer for a date. He knew that his dark half didn't really like the other boy, and telling him now might not be a good idea.  
  
Yami could tell his aibou was avoiding telling him something, but he would find out. "Oh? What stuff?"  
  
Yugi cursed in his head. He had been hoping that Yami wouldn't ask him that. He didn't want to keep anything from his yami, well except the fact he loves him. He put on a fake smile and answered him. "Stuff like, where we go to school, the dueling tournaments. You know, stuff."  
  
Yami looked skeptical, like he knew that Yugi was hiding, but he accepted that answer. The tension between them quickly disappeared and their happy mood returned in full force. They kicked the snow at each other and chased each other through the snow. It wasn't too long that their cheeks turned pink from the cold. Their eyes shined with delight at the simple pleasure of being with each other here.  
  
It seemed that their trip back to the hotel was much shorter than the one to the lake. All too soon they exited the woods and were again surrounded by people. They had both wished for a little more time alone, but they couldn't always get what they want.  
  
They entered the hotel and went up to their suite, where they collapsed on the couch. They were so tired they hadn't even bothered to take off their coats, but wrapped them around each other, creating a make-shift blanket of polyester, which they happily snuggled into.  
  
"I am never skating again!" said Yami as he stretched his legs.  
  
Yugi laughed and lay his head on Yami's shoulder. He could care less about skating at this moment. He was with his yami, his secret koi, and was happy. But something was nagging at his mind. He knew what it was, but he didn't want to think of it. It would ruin the moment. But he knew he couldn't keep it a secret too long.  
  
"Um, Yami? There was one other thing that Kyoji and I talked about."  
  
At the snowboarding instructor's name, Yami snapped out of the sleepy daze he was in and looked at Yugi. The uncertainty in his light's voice caused him to worry, what had made him act so hesitant?  
  
"What is it, tenshi?"  
  
The cute nickname caused the small boy to blush hotly, causing the other teen to smile. Now he had even more second thoughts about telling his yami. But he had to.  
  
"Well, Kyoji...he kinda asked me out on a date."  
  
Yugi lifted his head from the spirit's shoulder to look at his reaction. He could have laughed at the shocked look on Yami's face, but now was not the time.  
  
"He.....what?"  
  
"Asked me out. Tonight."  
  
"I can't believe him.... How could he do such a thing?!"  
  
"Calm down Yami.  
  
"Calm down? That guy is so dead when I find him."  
  
"What? Yami, you don't have to hurt him."  
  
"But he has no right to ask you out."  
  
"It's not like I told him yes."  
  
"What did you tell him?"  
  
"I told him I needed time to think."  
  
"Time to think? You're not actually considering going out with him."  
  
"I never said that."  
  
"But you didn't tell him no! You told him you'd think about it!" Yami said as he jumped off the couch and glared at his aibou. "That's basically telling him you will."  
  
"And what of it? Why are you making such a big deal about this?! If I want to go out with someone I can!" Yugi replied, also getting off the couch and glaring back at the spirit.  
  
"I won't let you go out with him, and that's final," said Yami angrily as he crossed his arms around his chest, sending a look to Yugi saying that the conversation was over. Yugi, however, was not finished.  
  
"You can't tell me what to do! I'm sixteen, and I can do what I want. Just because you are my yami doesn't mean you can tell me what to do!  
  
"I know what's best for you!"  
  
"No you don't! You just think you do! You just want to keep me from doing something I want to do! So just shut up!"  
  
"I'm supposed to protect you!!"  
  
"Protect me?! You're 'protection' is more like control! You always tell me 'Yugi don't do that' or 'Yugi don't go there' and I'm sick of it! I'm tired of being the 'good little aibou' and I'm sick of doing what everyone wants me to!!!"  
  
"Why would you want to go out with him anyway?! What, is he the one you love or something?" Yami was praying to every god he knew, both Egyptian and Japanese that the answer would be 'no'. If it was yes, he didn't know what he'd do.  
  
"No I don't love him! I love...... And why does it matter to you anyway?"  
  
"Because I don't trust him!"  
  
"Shut up! You don't know him!"  
  
"Which is why you are not going to go on a date with him! I don't like him and nothing you can do will change that! I refuse to trust him!!"  
  
"Why?! Because he likes me and asked me out? Because your 'innocent' aibou is doing something that he wants? Or are you jealous?"  
  
"Why the hell would I be jealous? You are not going out with him! Do you understand me!" said Yami as he turned and started to walk to the bedroom.  
  
"Gods, you are such a ketsuoana!"(1)  
  
Yami froze, then turned around and stormed over to his light, towering over him menacingly. Yugi was not affected by this gesture and stared angrily at him, his amethyst eyes piercing into the Pharaoh's crimson.  
  
"What did you call me?" Yami asked, his voice like poison, slowly entwining around Yugi, catching in his breath. The anger and tension in the room causing it to grow in it's danger. Both boys could physically feel the anger flowing around them, burning their skin and setting their souls on fire.  
  
"I called you an ass! Because you have been acting like one since we came here!"  
  
"So I'm an ass now? What about you? You've been acting like a little gaki!!"(2)  
  
"A brat!?"  
  
"Yes a brat! You have been immature and spoiled! In fact, it's not just here! You act like that all the time! You think just cause you're a famous duelist, you can do what ever you want. Well newsflash, you can't!!!"  
  
"You shouldn't talk! You think that just cause you were powerful and ruled a country that you can control me! I don't let anyone control me! If I want to go out with him I can! Ketsuoanansi!"(3)  
  
Yami grabbed the front of Yugi's shirt and lifted him up till Yugi was standing on his toes. His eyes were blazing with anger, causing the crimson orbs to glow like fire. In his eyes, his anger and hatred danced around wildly as he scowled at his light. The rage inside him burned and pushed to get out, engulfing his entire form, causing all rational thoughts to disappear.  
  
Yugi felt a prick of fear as he glared right back at him. He had never seen Yami that mad. He didn't even know Yami could get that mad. Suddenly he remembered the first dream. That was the only other time that Yami's eyes glowed with such hatred. But unlike in the dream, Yugi was just as mad. "Let me go," he said quietly, his voice low and dangerous. He was ready to strike out if he had to. He was shaking with repressed anger, and it threatened to overpower him. He pushed the fear away, till it completely disappeared. In it's place came more hatred at the one he called his yami.  
  
"Or what? You can't do anything to me! You're just pathetic and weak."  
  
"Let me go," Yugi repeated louder this time, his violet eyes shining brightly. The anger flew between them, growing stronger each second. Both boys were ready to fight if it came to that, the hatred between them at this moment stronger than anything in the world. Any kind thoughts of the other were tainted with the malice that formed in their hearts. All the good things were forgotten as their hearts turned into ice, refusing to let the other affect them. Even the love they secretly shared waned till it was a small spark that floated between them, desperately trying to revive the lost happiness. The dark rage attacked it, and weakened it, refusing to let the two boys out of it's black grip.  
  
"You are not going out with him. That is an order," said Yami dangerously, his eyes flashing in warning of what would happen if Yugi dared to disobey him.  
  
"Jigoku o iku."(4)  
  
That was the final strike. Yami lost control of his fury and lifted his hand and punched his light, the one he swore to protect from harm, hard on the cheek. Yugi's eyes widened before they narrowed and he punched the spirit back. Yami growled at him, his fangs glinting dangerously in the light. He had had enough of Yugi, so he pushed the smaller boy away.  
  
"Fine, go out with him! I don't care! I can't stand to be in the same room with a brat who doesn't listen."  
  
"Fine then! I'll leave, I can't stand to be around a bastard." With that Yugi grabbed his coat and walked out the door, slamming it as he rushed down the hall. Yami glared at the door, before walking to the bedroom and slamming that door.  
  
------------end flashback------------  
  
That fight had been two hours ago. It was now six. The sky above had started growing the faintest of pink five minutes ago and the air slowly became more frigid. Yugi stared at the ground as he massaged his red cheek. Yami had hit him hard, and the sting refused to leave. He had never harmed Yugi in any way, intentionally or by accident. Yami had refused to hurt him, and would have rather chosen death than to injure his little aibou. The pain caused from that fact hurt worse than any physical pain.  
  
Yugi slammed his fist into the snow. No! He refused to think about that stupid, arrogant bastard. The teen stood up and reached into his pocket. He drew out a piece of paper and his cell phone. He quickly dialed the numbers on it and waited.  
  
"Hi Kyoji. What time can you pick me up?"  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
1) Ketsuoana - ass  
  
2.)Gaki - brat  
  
3.)Ketsuoanansi - ass hole  
  
4.)Jigoku o iku - go to hell  
  
Robot: (enters) The authoress of this story, animestargirl, has gone into hiding to avoid the rage of angered fans. She is very sorry if you are angry at her and apologizes greatly. She hopes you will forgive her and will continue to read this story.  
  
Robot: (continues) Yugi Mouto has also gone into hiding to avoid angered fans who want to hurt him for his aceptance of Kyoji's proposal for a date. He asks your forgiveness and tells you to blame Star for making him accept.  
  
Yami Mouto has also gone into hiding to avoid fans who wish to hurt him for fighting with Yugi and making him turn to Kyoji. He asks for forgiveness and tell you to blame Star for making him argue.  
  
Robot: Star hopes you still review and will read the next chapter. She hopes that none of you write a flame, because that would make her even sadder.  
  
Review thanks  
  
DazzlinShorty  
  
Cherazz2284- I will post this chapter up on both websites  
  
fluffys-sidekick - I didn't want to hurt Yami, so I made him good.  
  
solarsenshi - Thanks again for the scans. Even though some were in French, and I can read French to a point they were still great. I wanted this one to be longer, which is partially why I'm two days late.  
  
Eurodragon  
  
Ruth  
  
meluvugi - Sorry, but I can't have them get together too soon.  
  
Fairy-of-Fourtune - I'm glad you like this one so much. You really like it that much? (blushes) I happy  
  
Sansi - I hope you liked this new chap, and you can vote as many times as you want.  
  
swift tales - I had to make him ask Yugi out. It makes everything better in the end. But you might not believe me cause of this chapter  
  
Sweet Fairy Jazz - This is the first Yami/Yugi story you've read? I'm so honored. There will be more of this story coming soon  
  
Lavender Insanity - Your idea about Yugi going to Kyoji was partially right, though it wasn't out of denial. Anyway, glad you liked  
  
Aislynn Goldleaf  
  
LordIronDuke126  
  
Formerly as Dragonite Himura  
  
MysticJuneBugs - I do love making people suffer by waiting  
  
cry wolf  
  
Alima8314 - Yami might be a little strict and everything, but I don't think he's too egocentric, cause if he was he wouldn't care for Yugi as much. I'm sure your story is good. If you get that note again, wait a few minutes and try again  
  
meowblecat - I know I put Yugi in a hard position, but it will get better. I can't wait for those fanart pics. XD I'm sure their good  
  
MissDbzMedabots - It's ok that you missed the first vote. You helped out with the second. Nah, Kyoji wouldn't kidnap him, no matter how much he likes Yugi. The screenshot isn't worked on by a program, but I don't know exactly what part of the show it comes in. 


	18. Aftermath

Star: peeks out I'm alive? ………… I'm alive!!! Thank you so much for not killing me!!! I'm so happy! Anyway, sorry it took a while to update this chapter. First the I had no inspiration what-so-ever, then when I did the website wasn't working. Sucks huh?

Thank you to all the reviewers! I wish I could reply to your reviews, but it's getting late and I want to post it up tonight, cause there is no way I will be able to do it tomorrow.

It seems that everyone either hates Kyoji (that's to be expected) or they hate Yami. I know that many of you are mad at me cause I made them have the fight and I made them hit each other, but everything will work out in the end.

Oh yea. I want to dedicate this chapter to my good friend Craig [hi Craig!!!!!!!] Thanks for giving me some inspiration! I owe ya.

One last thing. There will be a dream in this chapter. After a loooong time of no dream, I finally decided it was time to add one. This entire chapter follows Yami, though it's in the normal point of view. The dream is his.

disclaimer: roses are red, violets are blue (not really, cause violets are purple and the person who made up this song had his colors messed up) I don't own Yugioh so you can't sue!

"speech"

'dream speech'

((Yami's thoughts))

[internal voice]

(0o0o0o) beginning and end of a dream

{author notes}

-------------------Aftermath-----------------

Yami lay on his bed, glaring at the ceiling as the past events replayed in his mind. It had been more than two hours since they had that fight, and Yami was still mad. He was more than mad, he was furious. He had tried everything to get his mind off the past events from sleeping, watching TV, and even taking a shower, but nothing worked. Everything was fine before Yugi mentioned that loser. In fact the fight was all Yugi's fault, and Yami had every right to be angry at him. The sting on his cheek where Yugi punched him was only fueling his anger.

"That little brat! Why should I care if he goes out with someone? I don't care!"

He said that out loud, but deep down…really deep down he didn't mean it. He knew it wasn't Yugi's fault. It was the spirits fault that they fought, and he shouldn't blame it on Yugi. He didn't know why he got so mad, it was just an offer. He sighed, then turned over and stared at the wall. He let out another sigh as different emotions washed over him. There was sadness, anger, a feeling of betrayal and guilt. He felt guilty that he had over-reacted. Guilty that he had yelled at his light. And guilty that he…

"Oh Ra," he said as he sat up straight. "I…I hit him. Ra no. I couldn't have."

The sting on his cheek and on his hand throbbed even more, reminding him that it was real. Yami felt fear creep into his heart, leaving him cold and trembling. He couldn't believe it. There was no possible way. But as much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't escape the truth. He had actually hurt his aibou. He had hurt the one he cared for the most. He had hurt his love. The one who saved him; the precious light that had been given to him, and instead of protecting it, he beat it down, and pushed it away. He had broken his promise to his aibou and to himself. He drew in a shaky breath as he felt hot tears sting his eyes.

[He deserved it,] said a voice in his head.

((No he didn't! How can you say that?!)) Yami replied back.

[I'm just saying what you feel.]

((I don't feel like that!))

[Oh really? Then why were you so mad?]

((I didn't want him to go out with that guy.))

[But he did. Against your wishes. For that he needed to be punished.]

((Not like that!))

[Then how?]

((…))

[You're agreeing with me then.]

((No I'm not! Shut up and leave me alone!))

[Deny all you want, but we both know it's true.]

The conversation with himself made him angry again. He buried his face in a pillow and screamed as loud as he could. When he was finished, he felt a lot better. That voice was wrong! He shouldn't have punched Yugi…but…

The spirit let out a groan of frustration and pulled out his laptop. He had his own laptop. He and Yugi would always fight over who got to use the computer at home. Everyone got so tired of them complaining that Seto bought them their own. Yami smiled slightly remembering his words.

---flashback---

"Here!" the C.E.O. said as he thrust the two laptops at the boys. "Take them and shut up!"

---end flashback---

He opened it up and while he waited for it to load he absentmindedly traced the red outlined surface. He glanced down and saw the end of Yugi's laptop sticking out of the carry bag. The boys laptops had an edge the same color as their eyes, so that they could tell them apart. He always thought it was cute that Yugi had placed a little white star on his. Yugi had placed the little white star on his and had tried to put a black one on Yami's, but the spirit refused. Instead, they wasted the rest of the stickers placing them on each other. That was a fun day.

With another sigh, Yami logged on to the internet. Almost instantly he got two messages, one from Malik and Marik and the other from Jou. He groaned slightly, talking to anyone was not something he wanted to do right now. But he had nothing better to do, and he feared that if he didn't do anything that voice would come back. So grudgingly he replied.

KingYami: Hi guys

S.K'spuppy: Hi Yami, hi Malik and Marik

Egyptpsychos: Hay you two. What's up?

KingYami: bored and…bored

Egyptpsychos: Aww, so sad (not!)

S.K'spuppy: I've had a fun time here

Egyptpsychos: You've probably been screwing Seto all the time, huh?

S.K'spuppy: No! …not all the time

Egyptpsychos: riiiight. Anyway, we don't feel like typing so turn the stupid web cam on

KingYami: don't feel like it

Egyptpsychos: Do it Pharaoh!

S.K'spuppy: come on Yami. Do it so they don't hurt themselves trying to send you to the shadow realm through the computer

Egyptpsychos: I would not do that! …Marik might.

KingYami: fine, jeez

Yami really didn't feel like it, but again he had nothing better to do. So he reached over and turned on the camera. Then, half of the screen was taken up by the two Egyptians and the other was of Jou. Yami gave a half smile in greeting of his friends.

"Hi Pharaoh! What's the matter with you? You look like you got run over or something," said Malik as he struggled to push Marik out of the way.

"Shut up! You two don't look the same either. You're loosing your tan."

"Don't remind us! Do you know how hard it is to find a decent tanning salon in China?" yelled Marik ad he pushed Malik out of his chair, only to get tackled by the hikari.

"Because that's sooo important," mocked Jou, only to receive glares from the boys. Yami smiled in amusement. Those two were such a pain. But he had to admit, talking to his friends was making his mood better.

"I see _you_ have a tan, Jou," Yami commented, making Jou beam.

"You call _that_ a tan? That's nothing compared to ours," scoffed Marik while he put his light in a head lock.

"So? I don't want to look like you two."

"You wouldn't be able to look this good if you tried," Malik said with a smirk, causing his yami to tackle him. Moans of pleasure could be heard on their side. Both Yami and Jou tried to block it out, but it seemed like those two were being loud on purpose.

"So Yami. How has your vacation been going?"

"Oh, it's been good. It's too cold here though. I'm going to freeze my ass off before we leave."

"Ha ha! A frozen Pharaoh. That is not a bad idea," said Marik, poking his head up from under the table where he and Malik were doing…something.

"Don't worry Yami. I can help _warm_ your ass up," added Malik with a sly smirk. Yami's eyes widened as he moved back from the computer slightly, as if Malik could come out of it. Marik chucked evilly as he tackled his hikari again, drawing him back to the floor where they continued doing what they were doing.

"Seriously you two! Can't you sit still for one second?" asked Jou as he raised his eyebrow at the screen where flailing limbs and moans were coming from their side. "But what happened to your face, Yami? Your cheek is swollen."

"Long story," said Yami with a sigh.

"Tell us. Usually listening to you talk puts us to sleep, but we can't go anywhere today. Isis grounded us," said Malik as he climbed up off the floor, drawing cries of disappointment from his yami.

"I don't know why I'm punished though! I'm not her brother!"

"You started it!"

"Did not! You fell down on your own."

"You pushed me!"

"Will you two shut up! Like I don't get enough of you the rest of the year, but now you're messing up this vacation. You two are so impossible!" the Pharaoh at the screen, causing the three boys to stare at him.

"Flattery will get you no where Pharaoh…unless you want something from us," Marik replied with a wink. "Besides, no one is as stupid as you in China, so pulling pranks on them isn't as fun."

"Before Yami says anything that will get you three fighting, I still want to know why your cheek is swollen," said Jou with worry in his voice. "It looks like someone punched you."

"Someone punched you? Who?" asked Malik, curiosity also in his voice.

"You actually care?" asked a surprised Yami.

"No, I'm just worried that I'll never be able to congratulate the guy...It was a guy right."

"Yea, someone punched me," said Yami quietly, averting his eyes from the screen.

"Who?" asked the three boys at the same time.

"Yugi," the spirit said even quieter.

When no reply was heard from either side, Yami looked back at the screen only to see his friends with a shocked look on their faces. The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow and sat there, waiting for someone to talk.

"Yugi…he punched…you?" asked Jou slowly, trying to process what he just heard. He couldn't believe that Yugi, his best friend that wouldn't think of hurting anyone, could actually punch someone. Especially Yami!

"The kid punched you? I didn't think he had the guts," said Malik with a small smile. Unlike him though, his yami was rolling on the floor with laughter.

"That is just priceless! I can't believe your shrimpy aibou beat you up!" the yami said as he tried to control his laughter, but was unsuccessful.

"But why would Yugi of all people punch you?" asked Malik as he tried to avoid his yami.

"Cause we got into a fight…and I punched him first."

Now all three of them were laughing. Yami just stared at them, confusion written all over his face. Why were they laughing?

"What's so funny?" he asked, hoping to get answers out of them.

"You are funny, Yami! But really why did he do that?" asked Jou, holding his sides from laughing too hard.

"Cause I hit him first," the spirit said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Yea right! Stop joking," said Malik, tears falling out of his eyes, as he tried to breathe through laughs.

"Oh no! The Pharaoh hit someone! The world is coming to an end! I'm too young and sexy to die," Marik managed to say as he again rolled on the ground in laughter.

Yami finally snapped. They were laughing at him! Not believing him was bad enough, but to actually laugh at him was going to far.

"Shut up! I did hit him! I-punched-Yugi!"

Suddenly the laughter and smiles were gone in the blink of an eye and were replaced by looks of horror and more shock.

"You…really punched him?" asked Jou, who was slowly becoming angry. Ancient spirit or not, Jou just couldn't sit by and let someone hurt his best friend. "How could you do it!?"

"I don't know. We were fighting and I got mad…and lost control," said Yami who was gazing at the sheets, desperately trying to keep the memories from coming back to him. Even after two hours, he couldn't stop that moment from replaying in his head.

"What could get you so mad that you of all people would hurt him?" asked Marik who was now sitting up straight and staring at the ancient Pharaoh through the web cam.

"He wanted to go out with this guy that I didn't trust."

"So you punched him!?" asked Malik who was also starting to grow angry. Even though he never showed it, he cared about all his friends and would hurt any one who messed with them. Even Marik was like that.

"You think I don't feel bad enough already?!" Yami yelled, trying to defend himself, but the guilt was growing stronger.

"Obviously not if you can tell us that with a straight face!" Jou yelled back.

"The world really is coming to an end if you punched Yugi," stated Marik, earning a glare from Yami.

"Shut up ok! I don't want to talk about it, not now…not ever…" trailed off Yami quietly. Jou stared at the sad spirit, anger and sadness flowing through him. He knew how much it must have been hurting him, after all, it wasn't just anyone he hurt, it was Yugi. But on the other hand, he couldn't just let Yami get by without yelling at him. Yugi was Jou's best friend before Jou even knew of the spirit and he had also promised to protect Yugi. He didn't know what to do; should he take his best friend's side or should he help the spirit?

"I'm just surprised that you could actually do that," said Jou. There was no trace of anger in his voice, but neither was there compassion. Yami said nothing in reply, but just continued staring at the sheets on his bed. Why did he tell those three? They were just going to make things worse…but in a way, it helped to tell someone. At least he wouldn't kill himself trying to keep it inside.

"You must really hate that guy if you resorted to hitting your aibou," Marik said as he wrapped his arms around his hikari's waist. He would never hurt his hikari, no matter how angry he got. Marik could destroy the world, but would never lay a finger on Malik. He loved Malik and swore to keep him safe. He could sympathize with the other spirit. Bakura could probably do the same. Even though the tomb robber used to hurt his hikari, once he realized he loved him he did everything to protect Ryou. Bakura still felt horrible for doing that to his angel, and would randomly apologize for it.

Yami just shrugged and didn't look up. He wanted to scream again, but he wouldn't. Not now, not when he still felt bad enough to do something stupid. So instead he kept all his emotions inside, where he felt them tearing him apart. He knew he could go crazy, but right now he didn't care. He didn't care about anything at this point.

Jou let out a sigh as he gazed at the silent spirit. He just didn't know what to do. Everything was so confusing, and he wasn't prepared to handle this. He never thought he'd see the day where Yami did something bad to Yugi, and didn't know how to help. He didn't want to choose anyone's side, but it was hard not to. He wouldn't do anything now, except try to get Yami to feel a little better, just so he wouldn't do anything stupid. "How long ago was the fight?"

"Over two hours," was all that Yami said.

"I'm guessing that you haven't seen him since then," concluded Jou.

"Yes, he ran out of the suite after…"

"When do you think you are going to apologize to each other," asked Malik, holding his yami arms tightly around his waist.

"I can't see him now. It's too soon," the spirit replied, lifting his gaze to the two Egyptians. Sometimes he envied them; they were together. They had the person they loved with them, and everything was perfect for them. Even the tomb robber had everything he wanted. Life just wasn't fair for him. Not only did he not have the one he loved, he had pushed him farther away. ((The gods must be laughing at me,)) he thought as he lowered his gaze again.

"Don't put off the apology too soon, or else it will be too late," replied Jou.

Yami nodded, then thought of something important. Having those three know about it was bad enough, but he didn't want anyone else knowing or else they would never get over it. "You guys, please don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone else knowing. I'll tell them when I'm ready." The three boys nodded in agreement, and Yami felt partially relieved.

"Anyway, I have to go. Seto is taking us to this new restaurant on the beach. It's supposed to be the classiest one here. I think the only reason he wants to go is so that he can complain about the lousy service. He loves doing that. See ya guys," and with that Jou's image disappeared as he signed off.

"I should be going to. I'm getting hungry," said Yami. The other two boys knew it was a lie, but they didn't question him. The three said their good-byes, and Yami turned off his computer. With a sigh, the crimson eyed boy lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes. He didn't want to go downstairs, but he had nothing better to do than sleep. He didn't want to sleep either, but he couldn't just sit in the big suite all by himself. He slowly drifted off into a deep sleep, hoping to take his mind off of everything.

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Yami wandered about trying desperately to locate his missing aibou. It felt like hours since he last saw him, and he couldn't find a single trace of him other that the footprints that seemed to be fading away. If he didn't find his light soon, he wouldn't be able to continue. The sky was already growing dark, and the quickly falling temperature was a warning of a quick death to anyone who stayed out past the time when the sun could warm them. Yami smirked dryly when he noticed the changes in the atmosphere matched his mood.

He stopped suddenly when he heard a strange noise. He listened intently, but all he heard was the whisper of the wind, and the tree branches hitting each other. He shrugged it off as his imagination, and started to walk again, when another noise froze him in his tracks. This time he definitely didn't imagine that. It sounded like something was moving in one of the bushes. The teen was going to dismiss it as an animal, when he realized that there had been no signs of any animal life the entire time he had been there. Why would there suddenly be something in the bushes…unless…

Yami took a defensive stance and strained his ears to listen for any more noises. His crimson eyes scanned the area around him, looking for a shadow, or anything that would give him a clue as to what was there. His eyes locked on a dark figure that was standing next to a few trees. He quickly looked it up and down, and realized it was no animal that was in the shadows. It was a human. The spirit narrowed his red eyes at the human silhouette. It was definitely not Yugi, but he didn't know who it was.

'Who are you?' the Pharaoh asked the figure. He didn't trust it. There was no way he, for Yami could tell it was a man, could have just appeared out of no where.

The shadowed figure didn't reply, but it lowered it's head and seemed to be looking at something. Yami raised his eyebrow, but didn't follow it's gaze.

"Who are you?!" the spirit asked again, his patience wearing thin. He didn't have time to be questioning the man. He had to find his precious hikari. The more time passed, the more worried he became. He just had to find him before it got dark, because then he wouldn't be able to see the footprints. For some reason he couldn't sense his aibou anywhere, no matter how much magic he used. And the link was closed from Yugi's side; he was probably still in the trance, Yami deduced. That scared him more. If Yugi was in a trance, he wouldn't be able to protect himself. Yami's fear grew as he thought of what could happen to his secret koi.

The spirit was taken out of his thoughts abruptly when the shadowed man started walking away from him. He seemed to be walking in the same direction that Yami was walking in. Yami followed the man as he walked away, noticing that the man still had his head down. Yami lowered his gaze, trying to locate whatever the man was looking at. His eyes widened when he realized that the man was following Yugi's footprints. He was going after Yugi!

The teen ruler growled dangerously as he raced after the figure. There was no way he was going to let that person get his hands on Yugi. He stopped in front of the man, blocking him from going any further.

"What are you doing? You're not getting to Yugi!" he yelled at the man. The man stopped and raised his head. Yami couldn't see his face though, because the man was still in the shadows. The spirits eyes glinted dangerously, but it seemed to have no effect on the man, for he started walking again. Yami thought that the man would bump into him, but he suddenly disappeared.

Yami searched for him frantically, looking everywhere for him, but when he saw him far ahead, his jaw dropped. How did he get that far?! The young Pharaoh snapped out of his stupor when he realized that the man was getting closer to Yugi. He raced after the strange man, but no matter how fast he went it seemed that he couldn't catch up to him. In fact, he was getting farther. Suddenly he disappeared completely.

Yami stopped again, and looked for him, but he was gone. There were no footprints to show that he had ever existed, but he knew that if he didn't find Yugi soon, the man would get to him first. He took off in the direction of his aibou's prints, praying to Ra that he would get there in time.

Finally he reached a clearing where he saw Yugi curled on the ground. Yami felt relief rush through him, as he at long last found his missing aibou. The relief was short lived when he saw that Yugi was curled up in a ball, and was lying on the cold ground. Yugi didn't appear to be shivering, but even from where Yami was standing he could see Yugi's skin was a pale blue color, though his cheeks looked flushed from heat.

'Yugi?' he called out quietly, hoping that he would be answered. Yugi stirred slightly, dispersing the worst thought from Yami's mind. Yami let out a happy sigh, and tried to move forwards when he realized…he couldn't! He was stuck in place! He couldn't move any part of his body, and he had no idea why. He tried to call out to his light, but no matter how hard he tried to scream, no sound would come out.

Suddenly, he saw a movement in the trees behind Yugi. He narrowed his eyes then widened them when he saw the shadowed figure from before. He hadn't seen him approach this time either. Where was he coming from?

He watched as the man walked out of the trees and towards Yugi's form. Yami desperately tried to move but nothing would give. The only thing he could do was move his mouth, but that wasn't doing any good since he couldn't talk. And he couldn't warn Yugi through their link because it was still closed. With a hitched breath, he watched the man kneel in front of Yugi. He let out his breath when he saw the man place a blanket around Yugi's curled body, but that didn't mean that he trusted him. He still couldn't see the man's face.

Yugi's body moved again, and both the shadowed man and Yami stopped still to see what would happen. When the smaller boy had stilled, the man leant over and gently picked him up. The spirit's eyes widened again, and he tried to move, but he was still bound in place. He tried yelling out, but his mouth only formed the words that he frantically wanted to say. He tried yelling, screaming, and even calling through the link, but nothing worked. He felt himself breaking within.

Yugi stirred again, catching the attention of the Pharaoh. He watched as Yugi slowly opened his amethyst eyes, turning them to look at the crimson eyed boy. Yami felt calm and safe under his gaze, that is until he realized that Yugi was indeed still under the trance. His usually bright violet eyes were still dulled and unfocused. There was no trace of emotion in them, they didn't even have a pupil. They were just cold, empty pools. Their eyes locked for a second before Yugi smiled.

It wasn't the usual smile that graced his angelic features. It was a haughty smirk, as if Yugi was taunting him. His eyes were shining with victory, and he mouthed the words, 'You lose.'

Yami was shocked! Beyond shocked! He had no idea what was going on, and seeing Yugi smile like that was making him more confused. What was even more confusing was that he said, 'you lose.' Why had he said that? What had he lost? He didn't even know they were playing anything. Before he could react, the figure of the man turned and started walking away. Yugi smiled at the man who carried him, and snuggled into his grasp.

Yami just stood there and watched them walk away. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He now knew what Yugi had meant. He had lost. He lost his aibou.

(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)

Yami opened his eyes slowly as he felt tears spill out of them. They raced down his pale cheeks, leaving hot trails behind as a reminder of everything. He closed his eyes tightly, forcing the tears to recede. Once they were gone, he sighed and sat up. The teen ran a limp hand through his hair, pushing back his blond bangs. He shook his head to relieve himself of the last images of his sleep. It was another dream. That made three now. Why did he keep having them? Why did they torture him so, playing on his feelings and making him despair. And who was that guy? The spirit never saw his face, and nothing about him seemed familiar.

The red eyed teen sighed again as he got up and walked out of the suite. He slowly walked into the elevator and went down to the first floor of the hotel. Being the 'five star hotel' it was, the first floor was huge. Yami walked past the lobby, the restaurant, the conference rooms, the play room, the day-care room, and the recreation rooms and finally made it to the bar/sports room. {a/n: All the hotels I've stayed at had all that, but I thought it was ridiculous……why did I interrupt the story?}

He walked to one of the bars and ordered a drink. No one asked to see an i.d., and the bartender gave it to him right away. He drank the shot quickly, and asked for another. He usually hated drinking, and was totally against it, but right now he didn't care.

"Hey kid, What's the matter?" asked the friendly, young bartender as he cleaned out a glass with a towel {a/n: cliché, I know}

"Nothing," answered Yami, as he drank the shot again.

"Relationship troubles huh?"

"…Yea."

"Let me guess. The person you like is going out with someone else."

"Yes," said Yami as he pushed away the shot glass and ordered a Pepsi.

"Who's he going out with?"

"A real jerk," Yami replied, not noticing that the bartender knew he liked a guy.

"Sounds charming," the other said with a smile. Yami responded with a dry smirk.

"If I were you, I wouldn't just sit back and let the one you like go out with someone else."

"That's the reason he's going out with him. It's because I didn't want him to go out with that guy in the first place."

"Ahh, so that's why. Well, don't worry kid. I get the feeling that everything will turn out great in the end. You just got to let things run their course," the bartender said, patting Yami's shoulder.

Yami smiled at him in thanks, then took his Pepsi and went to sit in one of the booths to look outside. He felt better now. The words of the bartender played in his mind over and over again. 'Everything will turn out great.' He smiled, and let his thoughts drift over to his aibou. He actually hoped that his light was having a good time.

----------------------------------------------------------

Star: Hi!!! I hope everyone liked that chapter. It took a couple of days to finish, because again I had no inspiration.

Anyway, there really is nothing left to say except……..review please!!!!!!!!!


	19. Dinner, Dancing, and

Star: HIYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry it took me so long to update but I finally have my inspiration back!!! One day the creative part of my brain just up and died, so I had to wait for a replacement. Hope this one is as good as the old one (may it rest in piece)

Yami: …so…what's going to happen now?

Star: What do you mean?

Yugi: **EVERYONE** wants to know what is going to happen between me and Kyoji, so……Spill!!!

Star: Uh-uh-uh! Can't tell, no matter how much you want to kill me, so you will have to wait. **ALL OF YOU!** Mua-hahaha! [cough] I need to work on my evil laugh.

Thanks for the reviews!!

egyptianprincess169, Ms Hobgoblin, Eurodragon, MissDbzMedabots- 2 reviews!, Alfonservar, Kagome-chan88, Pharaoh Kami, Titanicbabe, tears of a mermaid- 2 reviews!, generally speaking, Amme, Sailor-M00n, crystal-eyes200, Ruth, fluffy's sidekick, Katsfire, Pork Steak the Grande, Yugi's-love, meowblecat, citcat-chan, Dark Shedevil, solarsenshi, serinabunny, Silvershadowfire, Soul Dreamer, Princess Jasmine, Hiei's long lost wife, puffin, LarkaWhiteWolfOfDreams, swtdreams07, Red Dragon of Egypt, k-chans-dani, Dragonite Himura no Tenshi Ryu, Sansi, Yami-loverOB1, Kirby Gillam, DazzlinShorty, Dragi, Craig(hi craig!), swift tales, Vampiress24, Cherazz22784, Celesta, Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, Mafdet-TK, Drago-Kai, Koishii No Tenshi1, Mizu- 2 reviews!, Yami Neferbre, kenshinfan21.

I wish I could reply to you all, but there are so many (not that I'm complaning!) But I wouldn't be able to post this chapter up today if I replied to all of you. But I want you all to know you guys are the greatest! [hugs all]

disclaimer: Star:If you hate lawyers and you know it, clap your hands [clap/clap] If you hate lawyers and you know it clap your hands [clap/clap] If you hate-

Yugi: What are you doing?

Star: Showing how much I hate lawyers

Yugi: Some other time Star

Star: Aww, no fair! I don't own Yugioh

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

{annoying little author comments that you just want to delete but can't and have to sit through them}

---------Dinner, Dancing, and…--------------

Yugi stared at the dark sky, counting the stars as they flew past. He placed his head on the car window and let out a sigh. Kyoji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as he drove along the winding highway that lead from the hotel on the mountainside to the vibrant city that rested at it's base.

"Yugi? Are you ok?" asked the driver as he turned his gaze completely off the road and onto the boy next to him.

"Huh? Oh don't worry, everything's fine Kyoji," he replied as he sent the snowboarding teacher a smile.

The brown haired boy raised an eyebrow before smiling back. He turned his silvery eyes back to the road as he pulled to a stop in front of a fancy looking restaurant. "Ok then. Anyway, here we are."

Yugi smiled again as he stepped out of Kyoji's silver ScionTc. {Star: This car is so cool!! My dad is going to help me get one.} As he watched the car being driven away by the valet, he looked back at the road they had come from. It had been a fifteen minute drive from the hotel and the teen could see it's lights shining in the distance. He forced himself not to think of the days earlier events, and of what he left behind. A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts as he turned around. He stared deeply into Kyoji's shining orbs, noting how they were full of happiness and care. He felt himself being drawn into them and for a second was lost in the shimmering orbs.

"Come on," the brunette said with a smile. "This is the best restaurant in the town. Usually they're booked solid, but I have connections," the older boy said, beaming proudly at the young duelist who laughed.

Yugi wrapped his black jacket tighter around him as a gust of wind passed by. He was really glad that Kyoji let him borrow some clothes. It would have been embarrassing to walk into such a classy place wearing ski clothes. Instead, Yugi was wearing the red turtleneck sweater he had been wearing all day, khaki pants that were baggy on his form, but looked hot nonetheless, and a black leather jacket. His hair seemed to be rebelling that day, and looked messy, the blonde bangs sticking to his face and the red and black spikes leaning slightly to one side, but Kyoji said it was perfect. Looking the way he did now, Yugi was more than comfortable going in there.

Kyoji's hand moved and wrapped around his shoulder as the two began to walk inside the building. Yugi turned his head away to hide the blush that was slowly creeping it's way into his cheeks. He didn't exactly know why he was blushing, but didn't want to get caught either way. He was partially glad when Kyoji let him go to talk to the receptionist at the front, but missed the warmth and safety he felt.

As the waiter led them through the restaurant and to their table, Yugi's thoughts trailed over to his date. The boy had to admit that Kyoji did look very attractive. The older teen was wearing dark blue jeans that hugged his form, showing off his well muscled legs, a simple white turtleneck, and a dark blue jacket. Kyoji's ab muscles could be faintly seen through the shirt, causing Yugi to start wondering how often he worked out. His caramel brown hair was messy and unkempt, but gave off a sophisticated and classy look all the same. His silver eyes sparkled with excitement, causing Yugi to feel excited too.

The two boys sat down, ordered their meals, and started a light conversation. Pretty soon they were laughing and having a good time. Kyoji was a very funny person, and was constantly making Yugi laugh at his jokes. (This isn't so bad,) Yugi thought. (Kyoji makes me feel special and he's a great guy. I think I'm starting to like him.)

"So Yugi…I was just wondering…how did you get that mark on your cheek?" Kyoji asked as he looked at the duelist over his water glass. He instantly felt the tension and nervousness brought on by his question, which peaked his interest.

"My…my cheek?" Yugi replied hesitantly. He didn't want to tell anyone the real reason his cheek was slightly swollen and red. Especially not Kyoji. He Didn't want to ruin the night. Besides it hurt too much to even think of what happened just a few hours before. "Oh, I just hurt it."

"How?"

Yugi mentally flinched, as he was hoping that the pearly gray eyed boy wouldn't ask that. He couldn't think of anything that could quickly change the subject so he said the first thing that popped into his head. "I was running in the suite, and I didn't look where I was going……and I ran into a door post. Silly, huh?" He was silently praying to Ra that Kyoji would fall for it, but unfortunately for him, he didn't.

"Yugi, please tell me the truth," the young teacher said as he reached over the table and took one of Yugi's hands in his. His silver eyes were flowing with concern and care for the one across from him.

Yugi looked down at the hand holding his and sighed. It wouldn't do any good to try to avoid the subject anymore, so he decided to just tell him.

"Well……Yami and I got into a fight and…things got out of hand."

"Was it because of me?"

"What?" Yugi said as he lifted his gaze and looked into the other boys eyes.

"I could tell Yami didn't like me from the beginning. Did you two get into a fight because I asked you out?" he asked, searching Yugi's violet orbs for an answer.

"……Yes," the amethyst eyed boy replied quietly. "He doesn't trust you, but I don't know why."

"I see. I'm sorry, it's my fault you to got into a fight. I didn't mean for that to happen."

"No it's not your fault. He needs to learn that I can take care of myself. I don't need or want him to baby me," Yugi replied, a slight trace of anger and resentment in his voice.

"He's very protective, isn't he?"

"Yes. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that he cares for me that much, but sometimes he shields me so much, that I have to get away."

"He just wants to make sure you are safe. I feel the same way."

Yugi just sat there gazing into the bright sterling eyes of the boy in front of him. He didn't know what to say. It surprised him greatly that someone could fall for another person so quickly. But it was the same way with him.

"You…do?" Yugi finally said after a few seconds of silence.

"Of course I do. How can I not care for you?"

"Kyoji…why do you like me so much?"

"Where do you want me to start?" replied the boy with an amused smirk. Yugi just smiled back and waited for the boy to begin.

"Well……I guess I started liking you when I first saw you on TV. It was 'love at first sight'," the brunette said with a chuckle. "But seriously, I couldn't help but fall for you."

"So……you like me because I'm a famous duelist?"

"No. That is something I admire about you, but not the only reason I like you. You're always so cheerful and happy. You're kind and caring. You're funny and a great person to talk to. You're smart, and not to mention, you're gorgeous."

Yugi felt like his face was on fire. All those compliments made him blush, especially that last one. Kyoji thought he was gorgeous? Yugi just couldn't believe it.

Kyoji sat there watching as the violet eyed teen blushed even more. He was so adorable, Kyoji just wanted to hold him. Though he may have looked calm and collected on the surface, he was a nervous wreck inside. He didn't know how Yugi would take those compliments, and was hoping that he wouldn't reject him.

"Wow……I don't know what to say, Kyoji," Yugi said quietly, averting his gaze to the tablecloth. "I mean…I just can't believe it."

"What's there not to believe? Everything I said is true. You're a great person, a loyal friend, an incredible duelist," Kyoji replied, moving closer to the stunned boy with each compliment, "And most important of all, you are an angel."

That was it. That last compliment had gotten to him {Star: in a good way}. Yugi felt his heart skip a beat as he lifted his gaze again, and felt himself being drawn again into the deep silver eyes, so full of care and...love.

"Kyoji…what are you saying?" Yugi let out in a whisper, afraid to talk any louder incase he breaks the spell that those deep, shimmering pools were casting on him.

"Like I said, I'm in love with you. I'm in love with an angel."

"I…I…" Yugi stuttered, not knowing how to reply to that confession. Here he was sitting in a fancy restaurant with an extremely attractive man who just confessed his love to him, and he couldn't do anything but stutter! How pathetic was that?

"I…" Yugi started again, but again he couldn't find the words to reply.

"It's ok. You don't have to respond. I don't expect you to. I just wanted you to know."

"I just can't believe it," Yugi said as he again gazed down at the table cloth, the confession still spinning in his head. It seemed as if time had stopped as all he could hear was Kyoji's words. All he could feel was the loving gaze of those shimmering silver pools, and the comforting hold of Kyoji's hands. The boy noticed nothing except the one in front of him.

"But it's true. It's always been true," Kyoji said quietly, leaning in even closer than before, all the while gently rubbing Yugi's hand lovingly with his own.

"So tonight…"

"Ever since I saw you, I always told myself that if I could have your attention for even a second, I could die happy. When I saw your name on the list in the hotel, I couldn't believe it. Getting to be your snowboarding instructor was like a dream come true, but all that pales in comparison to tonight. Tonight is the best night of my life, and I feel like I'm in heaven."

"Oh, Kyoji," Yugi said in a breathy whisper as he felt his heart skip many beats. This feeling in his chest was so familiar, and yet so strange. His entire form was taken over with happiness, surprise, and wonder. He felt like he was in a dream, it was just too perfect. It was everything he'd ever wanted, right? To have someone love him entirely. To have someone admit that he was the only one on their mind, and that they wanted to be with him forever. That's what he wanted.

He felt complete right now, but there was a small prick in the back of his mind that wouldn't leave. It was as if it was trying to get him to remember something important. Something that had changed his entire life. The prick slowly drained away a part of his happiness, till it was strong enough for him to remember. His breath caught in his throat when he realized that what he had forgotten was his love for his yami.

(How could I have been so stupid? I love Yami. I've always loved Yami.)

"Kyoji, I can't……I love someone else."

"I figured as much," Kyoji replied, a soft smile gracing his lips. Yugi looked up in confusion, not understanding why he was so easy and calm about it.

"You…you did?"

"Of course. I couldn't expect you to just suddenly fall for me. You could have anyone you want, and they would be the luckiest person on earth."

(There is only one person I want, and he will never be mine. Especially after tonight.) "Oh," was all he said.

"Is it Yami?"

Yugi merely sighed and nodded his head. His grip on the older teen's hand tightened, as he tried to control his emotions. Kyoji only rubbed his hand comfortingly. "Am I that obvious?"

"It was only a guess. I wasn't so sure," the silver eyed boy replied, looking at the young duelist with his sterling eyes.

"But you're right. I do love Yami."

"Even after what happened?"

Yugi just laughed lightly as he loosened his grip. "Yes. Even after everything that happened, I still love him."

"Have you…"

"Told him? No. I've decided not to tell him."

"Yugi, you shouldn't keep something like that to yourself. It isn't good to bottle up emotions like that."

"But I can't tell him, he loves another."

"Oh…"

A depressing silence fell over them, as they poked their food, both having lost their appetite. Neither knew what to say to break the silence, but thankfully a waitress came by to see if they needed anything else. They both agreed that they should go, and they walked off, still holding hands.

As they waited for the valet to bring the car, Kyoji wrapped his arm around Yugi's shoulder and drew the boy closer to him. The amethyst eyed boy leaned his head against Kyoji's shoulder and sighed peacefully. The sigh seemed to have lifted the tension around them, and enveloped them in a tranquil air.

Yugi felt the warmth from before flow into his body as he snuggled closer to the lithe body next to him. Suddenly the valet drove up in the silver car and Yugi had to move away. He silently cursed the man for ruining his moment and taking away the source of his warmth.

Kyoji got in and started the engine, but didn't drive off. Instead he just sat there looking at Yugi. The younger boy avoided his gaze for as long as he could, but finally couldn't take it. He turned his head and locked his amethyst eyes with the other boy's gray.

"Kyoji?"

"Yugi, I want you to be happy," he said.

"Happy?" Yugi repeated, confused about what he was talking about.

"Promise me that you'll be happy?

"Kyoji…I promise," Yugi said with a smile, feeling touched that Kyoji cared for him that much.

The brunette smiled too before he leaned across the seats and caressed Yugi's cheek, looking deeply into his eyes.

Yugi was in shock. He had leaned against the door of the car when the silver eyed boy had leaned close, and now he was trapped. He didn't know what was going on, and he really didn't like being confused. The feeling of the boy's hand on his cheek was sending a fiery feeling through his body. His breath caught in his throat as he watched love, passion, and lust flash through Kyoji's shining eyes. He placed his hand lightly on Kyoji's, preventing it from leaving his cheek.

The brown haired boy slowly inched his way closer to Yugi's lips, never leaving his gaze from the violet orbs that were clouded with confusion. Finally he hesitantly placed his lips on the ruby ones of the angelic boy in front of him. He grew more bold, and pressed harder on them, hoping to get a reaction from him. {Star: Whoo! Hot yaoi action! Yami: Stop interrupting the story! Star: ...meanine}

Yugi's brain stopped functioning then. It was not possible. How could it be happening? There was no way it was happening. But he couldn't fool himself. He was being kissed by Kyoji……and he was starting to enjoy it. Why? Why was he liking the feeling of being kissed by this boy? Could it be because it reminded him of the first time Yami kissed him? Or was it because he was starting to fall for the boy in front of him? Either way, he couldn't deny he was enjoying it.

Slowly he kissed back, feeling the softness of Kyoji's lips against his. He felt a gentle nibble on his bottom lip, and slowly, hesitantly, parted his lips and let the boys tongue enter his mouth.

The tongues danced around each other warily, hesitant and nervous about touching, till finally the caressed each other. Suddenly, they were passionately kissing each other, fighting for dominance in the kiss. Their tongues wrapped around each other as they darted from one mouth to the other, each mapping out the warm cavern of the other. Finally the broke the kiss, both opening their eyes, that they hadn't known they'd closed. The two boys stared into each other's eyes for a few more seconds before Kyoji slowly pulled away with a smile.

Without a word, they drove off heading towards another part of the town. Yugi lightly touched his lips, still in shock over what had just happened. He couldn't believe that he had actually kissed Kyoji….and liked it. (Ok, I seriously _must_ be going insane. I'm not supposed to like it. The only kiss I'm supposed to like is Yami's……not that I'm ever going to get another one.) The teen sat in a dazed state for the entire drive, and didn't realize that they had stopped. Only a tap on the shoulder from the elder woke him from his daze.

"We're here," was all he said as he started to get out.

Yugi looked out the window and realized that they were at a dance club. A very popular dance club, from the looks of it. Yugi scrambled to get out of the Scion, and stood next to Kyoji in the line. He was surprised when the bouncer just let them pass without asking for i.d. As if Kyoji read his mind, he laughed and said that the bouncer was a friend's uncle.

The club they had entered was a typical dance club. It had four bars, two dance floors, and a catwalk. Yugi had an idea about what the catwalk might be used for, but didn't want to think of it. The music blasted in his ears till he thought he had gone deaf, but it was a great beat, so he didn't mind too much. The flashing red and blue lights skimmed across the dancers, giving them a ghostly look.

The taller brunette dragged Yugi out to the dance floor, and started to dance. Yugi at first was a little nervous, seeing as how he hated to draw attention to himself. He could duel in a shadow game on global television while saving the world and defeating a great evil, but he was embarrassed to dance in a simple club. Twisted, right?

The tri-color haired boy closed his eyes and let the music flow through him. The rhythm and vibes coursed through his entire body, igniting a flame that caused him to start moving his hips. As the music picked up speed, so did he. He swayed his hips gracefully, effortlessly moving to the music.

Kyoji came closer to him, and before they knew it, they were dancing together, their hips grinding together. Every touch they made sent a fire flowing through them, leaving them pining for more contact. They rubbed their hips together again, their eyes shimmering with the passion of the music. He felt one of Kyoji's arms wrap around his waist and pull him as close as possible to the other body. The spicy scent of passion and lust filled the air around them, intoxicating them, taking over their minds, and leaving them slaves to the music.

Finally the song ended, and the two boys walked off the dance floor and sat down at the bar, Kyoji's arm still wrapped around Yugi's waist. They ordered a drink and relaxed against the cool surface of the marble countertop. Yugi let out an exhausted breath as he closed his eyes and let the beat of the music travel through his limp form.

Suddenly he felt two lips being pressed against his own. His eyes shot open only to look at the soft expression of the brunette face, his silver eyes closed in happiness. Yugi's own amethyst eyes slowly slid shut as they entered into another heart-stopping kiss. The teen wrapped his arms around Kyoji's neck, as Kyoji's other arm slid around Yugi's waist and drew him closer. Yugi parted his lips as the other's tongue slipped in. The kiss was short but incredibly sweet as it left them both winded. Yugi felt another blush forming in his cheeks, and forced it down. (He kissed me again!) he thought as he was pulled into an embrace, but instead of pulling away, he hugged the other boy back.

They spent two more hours at the club, and by the time they decided to leave it was 10:30. Yugi realized with a start that the date had been going on for three hours and thirty minutes, since it started at seven. But he didn't want it to end. Tonight was going great, and he didn't want to go back to the hotel, where he'd have to face Yami.

The two decided to walk around the park for a while to cool down. They drove in to the parking lot, got out, and just strolled along the quiet path. The air was very refreshing after two hours in the steamy night club, and both were relaxing.

Yugi noticed that there were many people in the park for this time of night. He spotted whole families, from the oldest grandparent to the youngest baby, just sitting on the grass talking, or playing around. There was even a carousel in the middle of a clearing that was swarming with little kids. Finally he felt so confused, so he turned to Kyoji and asked, "Why are there so many people here? It's so late."

Kyoji laughed and looked at him. "This time of year is when the mountain is the most visible at night. It only lasts for a week, but it's supposed to be a time of good luck and stuff. It's kind of like a tradition that you come out and spend the night here. This park is the best place in the whole town to see the mountain, so everyone comes here."

"Oh, so they just come out to see the mountain?"

"Basically. They say the mountain snow reflects the star light, and that's why it's also a big romantic time. But most kids only come out to ride the carousel and get ice-cream."

"Ice-cream? They sell ice-cream at this time?"

"Yea. It's really good. The stand's right up ahead. You want some?"

"Sure!" Yugi said excitedly, causing the pearl-gray eyed boy to laugh again. They took off sprinting in the direction of the stand, and were amazed at the number of people in line.

"Ra, this is long!" said Yugi unbelievingly.

"It's cause it's the best. But don't worry, I have connections."

"You have connections everywhere, don't you?" asked Yugi dryly.

"Pretty much," the elder teen said with a laugh. He walked around to the back of the store, where he knocked on the door. Yugi stood there, looking curiously at his date. Seconds later the door opened revealing a woman who looked to be in her late twenties. She took one look at the two boys, then smiled and ushered them into the ice-cream stand.

"Yugi, this is Mika, my cousin. Mika, this is Yugi," Kyoji said as he introduced them.

"A pleasure to meet you Yugi," Mika said, holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you too ma'am," he replied shaking her hand.

"Oh, he's so adorable Kyoji!" the woman said, causing Yugi to blush for the umpteenth time that night. The other workers and the customers all looked at Yugi, causing the teen to blush even more.

"Mika! Jeez. Anyway, we're here for-"

"There is only one reason why you are sneaking around the back of an ice-cream stand, and using your 'connections' to get inside. Now what flavors would you guys like?"

"Vanilla and chocolate!" yelled Kyoji excitedly, jumping up and down in the store.

"Strawberry, please," said Yugi, much more quietly, staring at his hyper date.

"Ok, one strawberry and one **_SUGAR FREE_** vanilla-chocolate swirl," she said as she walked over to the ice-cream machine.

"Sugar free??!! But why?!" cried Kyoji. Yugi just stood there eating his ice-cream, and trying not to laugh as he watched his date plead with his cousin to change the order.

"Don't you think he'd be better without the sugar, Yugi?" asked Mika while she struggled to keep the brown haired boy away from the machine.

Yugi just smiled and shrugged as Kyoji finally got his ice-cream, sugar and all. "Thanks Mika, we'll be seein' ya," he said as they walked out. Yugi just walked alongside the other boy, licking his strawberry ice-cream and staring ahead.

They walked over to a bench in front of the carousel, and sat down. They watched as the little kids laughed gleefully, ridding the big plastic horses, bobbing up and down to the tune of the calliope.

Kyoji wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulder, drawing the boy close to him. Yugi snuggled into the warmth the body provided and sighed happily. He felt Kyoji's arm tighten around him as he was pulled as close as he could go.

He looked up at the other boy only to find himself staring into the silver eyes again. He felt calm and protected under their gaze, and it was almost the same as when he was with Yami. But there were huge differences. While Kyoji's eyes were bright and blinding, Yami's were warm and fiery. They gave Yugi a sense of burning passion and strength that no one had ever given him before. Kyoji's eyes were very mystical, but they could _**never**_ compare to Yami's.

He heard light laughter and it took him a second to realize that Kyoji's eyes radiated amusement. He blinked in confusion, before feeling something cold start to trickle down his arm. Yugi looked at his ice-cream and gasped in surprise when he saw the strawberry treat starting to melt. He quickly licked the dripping edges and started to work on the main part. He could still hear Kyoji laughing beside him.

After a few minutes and about five brain-freezes, the two boys got off of the bench and walked off. Yugi could still feel the sticky goo on his arm though he had wiped it off as best as he could. "Sorry if any got on your jacket," he said, inspecting the inside of the arm.

"It's no problem, it'll wash off. Besides, it was funny to see your expression."

"Yea, real funny," commented Yugi sarcastically, bringing a smile to the older boy's face which in turn brought a smile to his own face.

They walked farther into the park when Yugi started hearing music. He stopped to listen to the faint strands of a song. (Where is that coming from?)

"For the week that the mountain is visible, a town organized band comes out to play at night. It's nothing big, just some twelve or something people. But they are pretty good, and the songs are nice. Usually they play slow songs, so most couples come here to dance," Kyoji explained looking up ahead to the traces of a small crowd.

"Oh, can we go dance?"

"Again? We've been dancing for the past two and a half hours. Aren't you tired?"

"Please? Just one song, that's all I'm asking," begged Yugi, bringing out his famous chibi eyes and using them on the brown haired teen.

"Oh man, not those eyes…...Fine! But just cause you look so cute when you do that," Kyoji said, kissing Yugi's cheek lightly.

Yugi beamed at him as the two boys ran off to find the musicians. The band was playing in a large gazebo in the middle of the park, right in front of a large fountain, which glistened in the moon light. There were many people sitting around listening to them, and just as many dancing with their partners. Just as the two boys got there a new song started up.

Yugi wrapped his arms around Kyoji's neck, as the other boy placed his arms around the smaller teen's waist. Yugi smiled and placed his head on the boy's shoulder. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of the simple pleasure he received from the dance. But he found that if he concentrated enough, it was no longer Kyoji holding him, it was Yami.

He imagined that the crimson eyed spirit was holding him closely, whispering the three words that Yugi wanted to hear. He even realized that he could imagine Yami's unique scent. Suddenly the smell of apples and cinnamon flowed through him, making the image of Yami more complete. He could even place the scent of the hot desert sand, the same sand that caressed the spirit's body 5000 years ago, the scent that was only Yami's.

As the song ended he opened his eyes to look at Kyoji's smiling face. He smiled back and hugged the boy as tight as he could. The other boy placed a kiss on his forehead, and the two started to walk back the same way the had come.

"So Yugi, are you ready to go?"

"No. I don't want to end this night. It's just…amazing."

"I don't want this to end either, but I caught you yawning a few times."

"Was not!"

"Yes you were. I saw you very plainly. You're about to yawn right now," said the taller boy, amusement laced in his voice.

"Am-" Yugi started to say, but was cut off by the yawn that Kyoji had predicted. He glared as the other boy laughed, but said nothing as they walked towards the silver sports car.

He got in the car quietly and sighed, causing the other boy to look over at him. He smiled and shook his head, trying to say that nothing was wrong, but Kyoji was not one to be fooled.

"You don't want to see him so soon, huh?" the boy asked as he placed his cheek on the steering wheel and looked over at Yugi's slightly hunched form.

"Yes, but I have to go back. I have no where else to go."

"You can stay over at my place tonight."

"What?" Yugi asked, surprised by the casualty of which the offer was said.

"Yea. We can do each other's hair, play games, and talk about BOYS!!" the other boy said with an over-exaggerated girly voice.

Yugi laughed as relief washed through him. He hadn't know why he was tense, but he was glad that he was over it. "Ok, I'll stay at your place tonight. But on one condition, no doing hair."

"Deal," the boy replied laughingly. They drove off in a great mood.

Thirty minutes later the boys were lying on the floor of Kyoji's hotel suite. They each had a look of victory on their faces. Ten seconds later, Kyoji's smile disappeared and Yugi's grew.

"That's not fair! How is yours so _big_? Mine is not nearly _half_ that size."

"I have yet to find anyone that beats me. Well……maybe Yami. Besides, you have a good size too."

"One that pales in comparison to yours. You took all of the skittles! And now you're wiping me out of my starbursts."

"It was your idea to play with candy," Yugi said with a mouth full of skittles.

"Remind me never to challenge the King of Games to a game of poker……or any game for that matter. I feel so pathetic," Kyoji said overly dramatically, placing his face in his hands and pretending to sob.

Yugi chuckled at the sight ahead of him. He popped another piece of candy in his mouth as he looked at the cards in his hand. He smiled again, seeing victory in his future. He then looked over at his pile of candy and his opponent's. There was no challenge between the two. Yugi definitely had more.

"Stop your acting. I can see your smile. Now put down your cards, and get ready to loose again," Yugi said, shoving his face full of skittles just to aggravate the other boy.

The other boy scowled at him, but then smiled smugly. "Ha! I dare you to beat this hand!" he said as he place the cards in front of him. He started reaching for the pile of candy, when Yugi slapped his hand away.

"Uh-uh. You can't take that candy, cause I beat you…again," the violet eyed teen said, placing his cards for the other boy to see.

"How did you get all four aces?!"

"Lucky, I guess," Yugi said absentmindedly as he counted his now bigger pile of candy. He really should stop eating them, it was almost midnight, and he would probably start to get hyper.

"That's some luck. Hey! Where did you get that pocky?!"

"Dunno. You must have placed it in the pile, but it's mine now."

"Oh no! I can handle loosing my skittles. My starburst too, but no one takes my pocky," the silver eyed boy said sternly, though his eyes were overflowing in laugher.

"Oh really? Cause it looks like I just did. I think I'm going to have a piece now," Yugi said, slowly starting to unwrap the package. Suddenly he was lying on his back on the ground staring into the other teen's face. The older teen was straddling his hips and had secured his arms to the ground by holding them down with his hands.

"K-Kyoji?"

The named boy didn't respond, he just leaned his face closely to Yugi's. The violet eyed teen looked at him warily, unsure what was about to happen.

The snowboarding teacher suddenly smiled and said, "My pocky," before taking the package out of the boy's hand and getting off him.

"Jeez, give me a heart attack, why don't you?" Yugi whispered as he sat up.

"But it's so funny to see you surprised."

Yugi glared at the older boy, causing him to laugh. Soon the young duelist started laughing as well. They both laughed for a long time, causing their sides to ache in pain, which just caused them to laugh even more.

Finally they stopped, and just reveled in the happy atmosphere that was caused by their fun. Suddenly Kyoji yawned, which caused Yugi to yawn as well. They smiled at each other and started to pick up the candy and the poker cards, silently agreeing to call it a night.

Kyoji disappeared into his bedroom for a few minutes and came out with a pair of pajamas for Yugi. He told the boy he could go to the bathroom and take a bath, and that he would set up the couch bed for him. Yugi nodded in approval, as he walked into the bathroom.

A few minutes later he came out and saw Kyoji adding pillows to the couch bed. He smiled and helped the boy fix up the rest of the mess that was on the ground. Before he could climb into the bed though, he was grabbed around the waist and pulled in to a kiss, which he eagerly entered in to. When the kiss was over he hugged the other boy tightly.

"Thanks for tonight Kyoji. It was the best time ever."

"I should be thanking you. Anyway, feel free to dig around the kitchen at anytime. I'll leave my door open incase you need me. Sweet dreams Yugi."

"Goodnight Kyoji," he answered as he watched the other boy enter his bedroom. Yugi turned off the lights and lay down on the couch bed with a contented sigh. He looked out the window as he slowly fell asleep, and began dreaming of sports cars, ice-cream, and silver and crimson eyes.

* * *

Star: That's all folks! See, the date wasn't so bad, there was fluff between them. It was also a nice long chapter, cause it incorporated all parts of their date. But I have to add this before you guys start going, 'How COULD you?!'

Yugi does not, I repeat **_DOES NOT_** love Kyoji. He does not have a crush on Kyoji, nor is he falling for him. Yugi loves **Yami** and only Yami, so don't go freaking out that Yugi will suddenly fall in love with Kyoji and the two will elope. It's not gonna happen!

Anyway, I don't know how long it will take to post my next chapter what with school and junk, but I will try to update as soon as I can. So please review!!!!!!!!!!


	20. Broken Ice

Star: GOMEN! GOMEN! GOMEN! I'm so sorry for taking so long! I had projects and papers and sports taking up all of my time! Not to mention I have exams this week.

Yugi: Don't forget to tell them that you were too lazy to think of even one sentence for the longest time.

Star: -.- They don't need to know that!

Yami: Yes I think they should.

Star: T.T leave me alone! I'm posting it up now, aren't I?

Yugi: (embarrassed sigh) What's with the crying?

Star:……I don't know …… ……… ……

Yami: (sigh)

disclaimer: I hate lawyers, yes I do. I hate lawyers, yes it's true. Take a great big gun and shoot 'em in the head, I can't wait till they're all dead.

Yami: O.o? She's a sweet girl isn't she?

Yugi: I can't believe she sang that to the Barney song tune. (shudders) Why Barney?

Star: Because I knew it would make people gag. . (glomps Yugi)

Yugi: (sarcastically) Oh yea. She's sweet all right.

No review replies this time, sorry. But still, THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed this story!! You guys are the best!

Another thing, my friend Joeyzgrl12 is starting a Yami/Yugi story soon, so you guys should check it out. It's going to be great!

(btw: This is day 5 of Yami and Yugi's vacation.)

(blah):Yugi's thoughts

((blah)): Yami's thoughts

--very annoying author notes that I put in when I have nothing to type but feel like wasting space--

------------------Broken Ice------------------------

Yugi woke the next morning to a loud beeping. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up, searching for the noise. He groggily got to his feet and walked in a random direction, lightly bumping into a chair. He walked through a doorway and stood there, staring at the image before him.

"Hey Yugi! How did you sleep? Sorry if I woke you."

Yugi blinked in shock. There was no way, no way on earth he could be seeing what he was seeing right now. But there it was, live and……in pastel.

"Kyoji…are you…wearing a pink apron?"

"And if I am? It's my friend's sister's apron. She just left it here."

"Uh-huh. What ever you say," the boy replied as he sat down at a table and promptly placed his head on his arms and closed his eyes.

"Still tired?"

"Yea. The sugar high from last night went away."

Kyoji laughed and ruffled the smaller boy's hair, causing the other to pout. Kyoji just laughed again and walked to the fridge. "So want something to eat? I can make…some things."

"When you put it that way I think I'll just take some cereal."

"Safe choice. Ok, one bowl of cereal coming up monsieur."

Yugi giggled at Kyoji's act of mimicking the waiters at the restaurant from last night. The silver eyed boy even tried to mimic the French accent but failed miserably, causing the other boy to laugh even more.

"Here we are. Our best cereal with the finest milk this side of the country. I hope everything is to your liking."

Yugi smiled and took a bite of the cereal. "It's great. The best I've ever had."

The two boys erupted into a fit of laughter as they sat next to each other. "I can't believe you only have three days of vacation left," said Kyoji as he took a sip of his juice.

"Yep, three days. Then it's back to school for more tests, projects, research papers, after school activities and all that other junk they make us do."

"It's a shame. Too bad you can't come to school here. The kids get two weeks off cause of the snow from the mountain."

"Yea, that's not fair. They shouldn't get two weeks…or they could make our vacations longer."

"Yep, but what can you do about it? I pity you kid."

Yugi made a face at the name. "Don't call me kid."

"Well you are a kid compared to me."

"That makes you sound old."

"……It does, but no old guy looks this good," the brunette said, flexing his muscles, showing off for Yugi.

"You think very highly of yourself," the amethyst eyed boy responded sarcastically. Kyoji laughed and ruffled his hair again, causing Yugi to pout again, but he smiled at the loving action.

"Maybe I should go to school here. I've always wanted to transfer."

"That would be cool. You could move out and get your own place here."

"Move out…yea," Yugi said quietly, staring down at his half empty bowl of cereal. Kyoji frowned at his actions then sighed.

"No, on second thought, don't come here."

"What?" Yugi asked as he lifted his head to stare at the other boy in shock.

"Yea, it would be too much of a hassle. You'd have to spend time packing, catching up in school would be hell, not to mention the transfer papers."

Yugi said nothing but stared at the brunette. (What is he…oh!)

"You're right. It's too much trouble."

"Yea it would be. So you stay at your old school with your friends and family and everyone that loves you. You keep hanging out with them and be happy and junk. Besides I wouldn't be able to spend anytime with you. Not that I would want to hang out with a little kid. So you stay at home," Kyoji said, a serious expression on his face, though his eyes showed compassion and understanding.

The young boy smiled at the other and gave him a big hug. "Thanks Kyoji. For everything."

"Anytime…kid," he replied with a chuckle as he got up and put their dishes in the sink.

"Why must you keep calling me 'kid'? It's so demeaning."

"But it's funny to see your expression when I say it."

"How is it funny?"

"I dunno. It just is."

Yugi groaned and put his head in his hands. Sometimes he hated looking like a kid. It was so aggravating to be called that.

Kyoji laughed and sat down next to the boy. "So, you want anything before I leave?

"Leave?!" Yugi said as he sat up quickly. "Where are you going?"

"Just to run some errands. Wanna come?"

"No thanks. I think I'll just get dressed and go," the young duelist said as he started to rise from the table.

"Wait. I didn't say you had to leave," Kyoji said as he grabbed hold of Yugi's arm. "You can stay here until I get back if you want. I won't be so long."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude. And besides, don't you have to work today?"

"I don't have to go till noon. It's only 9:00. You can…I dunno, watch TV or something."

"Really? You sure?"

"It's up to you."

"Well…I am kinda tired."

"There you go! Now while I'm gone you go back to sleep," the brown haired teen said as he picked Yugi up and carried him to the couch. Yugi squeaked in surprise as he felt a blush rise up on his cheeks.

"And wrap up, I heard it's going to be cold out today."

"We are at a ski resort…on a mountain…surrounded by snow. Of course it's going to be cold!" said Yugi as he was placed on the couch and covered up by five blankets.

"There, now try to be warm. You can dig around the kitchen if you want. I'm going to the store so if you need something just call me. Be careful ok?"

"Yes mother," he replied sarcastically. Kyoji just smirked at him and leaned down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back soon, ok. Bye!" And with that the silver eyed teen walked out of the hotel suite, leaving Yugi alone. The boy sighed and closed his eyes, placing a finger on the spot where he had received the kiss. He gently applied pressure on the spot and sighed again. Millions of thoughts ran through his head, thoughts like how he enjoyed the kisses he had with Kyoji, how nothing could compare to the kisses he had received from Yami. Ok, so there was really only two kisses as the others he had gotten when he had seduced Yami, but he wasn't about to complain.

(Yami. I wonder what he's doing now. Is he worried about me? Does he care that I never came back or…is he happy that he got rid of me? He sounded like he wanted me gone. I want to be with him so much, but I'm not sure if I'll ever get that chance now. I was such a fool last night! How could he ever want me back after what I did.)

Yugi sighed for the third time as he opened his eyes. He clambered out of the cocoon of blankets he was in and walked over to the window sill. He sat on the ledge and placed his forehead on the cool glass. He gently caressed the edges of the Millennium puzzle, the familiar carvings on the puzzle being the only thing giving him true comfort. The metal was cool against his fingers, sending little shivers down his spine. Yugi smiled as his fingers ran over the eye of Horus on the front. He hugged the puzzle tightly to his chest as he stared out at the white mass of snow, relaxing under the mountain's simple beauty.

The sun was halfway in the sky, giving the snow a pale white shimmer that was brighter than the purest diamonds and it looked softer than silk. Everything was quiet outside as most people had just woken up. The snow was smooth and undisturbed, the woods free from the young children who play there, making the entire mountain seem like a magical land right out of a fairy tale.

But there was a problem with everything. Ice. Snow. He was starting to get aggravated by it. It was everywhere. And not just in reality. It was in his dreams too. Yep, in _those_ dreams. It seemed like someone really wanted to mess with him. He couldn't get rid of them, and what was worse is that he was starting to look forward to them. True they scared him, and left him feeling weak and helpless, but they were so mysterious. It was as if they were showing him something, or trying to tell him something. As if someone was showing him what would happen in the future or something like that. It was all very confusing. Especially his latest dream, the one he had the previous night.

The teen climbed off the window sill and walked back to the couch where he sprawled out across the multitude of blankets. His large violet eyes slid shut as he thought back to his last dream.

(0o0o0o0o0oFlashback to Yugi's dream0o0o0oo0o0o0)

Yugi lay still in the man's arms as he was carried farther and farther away from his dark half. He smiled as he remembered Yami's expression on his face. He felt strangely satisfied at his yami's pain, but why? He couldn't figure out why he felt this way, but shrugged it off. Right now it didn't matter. He felt so safe and secure in this man's arms that he just wanted the moment to go on forever.

Suddenly a thought hit him. Where was he being taken? Where did this man come from and…who was he? It was strange, to feel so at ease in the arms of a person you don't know. But somehow…he knew nothing would happen to him. Soon he fell into a light sleep, cuddling into the man's arms even more. He felt rather than saw the man's smile and let out a soft smile himself.

The chill winds that blew around them never touched Yugi, for they were kept at bay by the man's warmth. He regained his strength slowly, and soon was well enough to sit up slightly. The man never once let go or slipped, always carrying his charge carefully, never once disturbing him. After a while Yugi woke to find that they were still traveling through the woods, but this part of the woods was different. It seemed more…peaceful than the part where he had gotten lost. There was a slight breeze that drifted through the large pine trees, surrounding the area with their scent. The trees showed no green as they were covered in snow, glistening in the moonlight from the cloudless sky. It really was like a fairy tale.

Yugi turned his dull violet eyes up to the man. He looked at the man's face, yet was surprised to see that he couldn't make out any facial features. The man's face was covered in shadows, leaving nothing to be seen, though the moon was shining brightly. Even the man's hair color was hidden in shadow. Yet Yugi could see into his eyes. Though he could not make out the color or features, he felt their softness, their kindness. They felt familiar, but he knew he had never seen this man in his life. He wanted to ask the man who he was, where he had come from and why he had come to his aid, but Yugi decided against it. He didn't want to ruin this peace.

Soon the man stopped, causing Yugi to look around in confusion. He saw the reason they had stopped when he turned his head to the left. He gasped in surprise as he saw a huge lake in front of them. Though the lake was clearly frozen, it seemed only as if the water was untouched. The moon shone brightest from the icy surface, sending mirroring rays of light to the corners of the forest, making a beautiful show of lights that nothing artificial could ever compare to. The dark blue waters stretched as far as the teen could see and even further.

Yugi slowly sat up in the man's arms as he took in the beauty of the scene before him. He felt a sudden need to touch the waters, to feel the radiance flow through him. He turned to ask the man to let him down, but before he could say a word, the man gently set him on the ground. Yugi's legs almost buckled under him as he was still weak from the earlier run. The man held him up as the violet eyed teen took a small step forward. When he realized he could walk again, he started towards the edge of the lake, the man close behind incase he needed help.

The boy knelt at the bank of the water and looked in the dark mass. In the clear light he saw his reflection. It was the same as before, his eyes showing no emotion, no feelings. He still had not escaped the clutches of the trance he was in. His face was lightly bruised from the wind and the snow, his cheeks a deep red color from the cold. He traced his reflection in the water and then looked down at the hand he was using. It was his right hand, the one that he had injured before. The cloth Yami had placed around it was keeping the wounded hand warm. Yugi felt a rush flow through him as he thought of his dark half. He couldn't describe the feeling he got from it, as it was a mix of too many.

The tri-colored haired boy shook his head of such thoughts. Yami was no longer here, so there was no reason to think of him, even if he had helped him. Yugi lifted his gaze to look across the water to the other side. It was a huge lake, the biggest the boy had ever seen. He didn't know how he hadn't come across it in his run through the forest. It was too big not to miss.

Suddenly he noticed he was alone. The strange man had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Yugi felt a pang of fear, but it was soon displaced as he saw the man had reappeared a few feet away from one of the trees. Yugi reached out a hand to the man, beckoning him closer, to keep him company. The man took a few steps out of the trees but didn't come any closer. Instead he turned his head and stared out at the lake. Yugi followed his gaze, but did not see anything of interest. But even so, he felt the urge to go out into the waters.

He slowly rose to his feet, stumbling every now and then. He took small steps towards the mass of ice, slowly picking up speed. The boy noticed his partner had walked out to the middle of the lake. Yugi started running out to him, desperate for company. The urge was becoming stronger, the call of the water too strong to resist. He had to be out there, had to be standing on it. He felt like he would die if he wasn't out on the water.

Yugi stopped running a few feet in front of the man. He stood there and gazed out across the water, to all sides. He realized that he could no longer see the edge. He was so far out, the massive snow capped trees looked like little white sticks. He turned back to the man and was surprised to see that the man was holding his hand out, gesturing for Yugi to take it. Yugi hesitantly took a step closer to the man, lifting his hand slowly to reach for the other's.

He sensed it again. The calling. 'Come to us,' he sensed the bodiless voice say. It was there. The need. The need to be there, to take the man's hand, to slip into the dark night and be carried away by the deep waters to a place where he would never be disturbed ever again. It consumed his entire being, till all thoughts were on finding that paradise. Nothing else mattered as he leaned closer ready to grab the hand. His fingers gently touched the other's and…

(0o0o0o0o0o0o end flashback of dreamo0o0o0oo00o0o0o0)

Yugi was jerked out of his dream by a loud shout. It took the boy a few minutes to realize the shout had come from outside. He groggily sat up and looked over to the couch. He was shocked to realize it was already ten thirty and Kyoji still wasn't back.

Yugi rubbed his eyes and stretched his tense muscles. Sleeping on a couch was not the most comfortable thing in the world. Though…when he had slept on top of Yami on the couch it felt great. It was…perfect.

(Ugh! Why must I keep thinking of him!? It's not like it's going to happen again! Someone hates me, I just know it. I must have angered a god, or maybe this is payback for what I did in a past life. Either way, it's killing me. I want to hold him again, just once more, but…….) Yugi sighed and stood up, letting the blankets fall from his waist. (I wonder where Kyoji is. He said he'd be back soon. Oh well, maybe there is something I can do here…..wait. He said I could raid his kitchen. Cookies here I come!)

With a smile Yugi raced into the kitchen and within minutes had torn it apart. He had successfully located and eaten all the chocolate chip cookies and half of the peanut butter. He had eaten some of the oatmeal raisin, but was going to save the rest for later. With a satisfied smile, he got up from the floor and opened the fridge. (Hmm….salad dressing, carrots, milk, peanut butter, jelly, bananas…..)

Two minutes later Yugi walked into the living room and turned on the TV, settling back on the couch with one of his favorite sandwiches. He took a bite of the peanut butter/jelly/banana sandwich and grabbed the remote. --Star: don't comment on the sandwich! It's good! But it's best with grape jelly….in fact…I'm going to have one now!-- Being that there was nothing on, the boy settled for the first thing that captured his attention. It was some movie or something about someone who did something. Yugi didn't really pay attention as his thoughts were on something else. They were actually on the past. He was thinking of the time he had forced Yami to eat this sandwich. Without knowing it, the teen let out a small smile.

(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oFlashbacko0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o)

"Aibou what are you doing?" asked a very curious Pharaoh as he leaned over his light's shoulder.

"Making a sandwich. Want one?" the boy answered without looking up from his task.

"Sure. What kind?"

"A pb/j/b."

"A what?"

Yugi laughed at the confused expression on his yami's face. "A peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich."

"Ew! How can you eat that!"

"Because it's good!"

"How can be good? It looks diseased!"

"I like it. I used to think it was bad too, but it's the best."

"Who told you about this thing?"

"Marik."

"I don't think you should hang around him anymore, hikari," the spirit said as he poked at the sandwich, earning a slap on the hand from said hikari.

"If you don't like, you don't have to eat it," the boy said as he walked into the living room and started eating it. After a minute or two, he sighed and looked over at his other half. "Yami, why are you staring at me?"

"I'm making sure that thing doesn't suddenly come to life and take over the world or something."

Yugi laughed and walked over to his dark, who stood in the kitchen doorway. "Oh come off it. If you try it, you'll like it."

"No way! I don't want to touch that thing," the crimson eyed ruler replied, as he backed away from the approaching boy.

"Come on Yami. Just one bite. You know you want to," the other teen taunted as he came closer to the spirit.

"No! You can't make me hikari!" the Pharaoh said as he felt his back come in contact with the wall, preventing him from escaping his light and his sandwich of doom.

Yugi didn't reply but kept walking forward, a scary smile on his face. (( I'm going to die. I just know it. I'm going to die…wait…I'm already dead…and knowing Yugi he'll find a way to kill me again. Why is everyone against me?))

Yugi struggled to keep from laughing at the sight before him. The almighty and powerful Pharaoh, saver of world, and spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was cowering on the floor in front of his hikari. Life just didn't get any better. "Get up Yami. You're pathetic. It's only a sandwich. Or would you like Bakura and Marik to find out about this little scene? I'm sure they would LOVE to hear about this."

"You wouldn't," the cowering teen said, glaring slightly at his aibou.

"Oh I would," the other boy replied, his amethyst eyes darting over to the phone. After a minute of silence from his taller look alike, he slowly started inching over to the phone, only to be stopped by arms grabbing his shoulders.

"Don't even think of it. I'll try your diseased sandwich, but I won't like it!"

Yugi smirked, victory shining in his eyes as he let the Pharaoh take a bite of his snack. He waited for a few minutes as the other ate his piece. Once Yami was finished, he opened his eyes which he had closed in the process and stared at his hikari.

"Well Yami?" the smaller one asked.

"Aibou…would you make me one?"

(0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0end flashback0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0)

Yugi's smile had grown during the flashback and now he found he couldn't stop smiling. That was one of his many treasured memories. It was during a time when he felt like the luckiest person in the world. At that time he never thought of loving his yami, that time was so easy why couldn't everything be like that again? Why must everything be so difficult for him?

Yugi stood up from the couch and turned off the tv. He was slowly becoming bored and had nothing to do. He decided to go out for a walk and headed to the bathroom to change. After a few minutes he walked out wearing dark blue pants, a white turtleneck sweater and he decided to borrow the black leather jacket that he had worn the night before.

Before he left, Yugi figured he'd clean up the mess he'd made. He spent about ten minutes on the living room, finally figuring it was clean enough. He then walked into the kitchen and froze in shock. "Wow…I didn't know I made _that _big a mess. I can barely see the floor anymore."

Yugi's wide violet eyes scanned the kitchen, taking in every crumb, drip and wrapper that now littered Kyoji's once clean suite. The cookie tins were scattered all over the table and the floor. His glass of juice was lying on it's side, the remains dripping off the edge of the table. The peanut butter was open and the cap was somewhere in the mess. The jar of jelly had the knife still inside of it, and the cap had left a sticky goop on the counter. The bread was missing a few pieces, which could be found in the sink. The bundle of bananas was put in three piles that were on the floor. The sink was littered with dishes, not only from Yugi's little -word used loosely- raid, but also from breakfast.

Yugi sighed and shook his head. The boy really had his work cut out for him. "Well…things could be worse." And just to prove his point, the phone chose to ring at that time. Yugi jumped five feet in the air, startled by the loud ringing. Shakily he leaned over the mess and picked up the receiver. "H-hello?"

"Hey Yugi! What's up?"

"Oh, Kyoji. How's everything going?"

"Pretty good. I have almost finished with my errands, so I should be back soon."

"Soon?! How soon?" (No! If he catches this mess he'd kill me!)

"Maybe another fifteen minutes or a half hour."

"Oh. That's soon."

"You sound nervous. You didn't wreck the place did you?" The silver eyed boy asked, amusement laced in his words.

(Almost.) "No! Uh…No, no it's just….ano…" the boy stuttered. He heard Kyoji's laughter through the receiver and tensed up a little. (Why's he laughing?)

"It's ok if the place is a little messy. I've had parties where it took me a week to clean up after. And that was just the trash."

Yugi laughed a little, slightly relieved that the other boy wouldn't be mad at the mess. But he was still going to clean it up, to be nice after everything the brunette had done for him.

"Well anyway, I should be back soon, but I might stop off somewhere. So I'll see ya when I see ya. Bye"

"Bye," Yugi said as he hung up. Suddenly a thought hit him. He had forgotten to tell Kyoji that he was going on a walk, and he couldn't call back cause the phone had no caller id. The small hikari turned around and surveyed the mess. "Well, better get to it."

Thirty-five minutes later Yugi sat on the floor and sighed in happiness. It may have taken a while, but finally the kitchen was back to the way it looked before he had…well…he preferred not to think about it. Sometimes it amazed him how crazy he could get with just a few sweets. The duelist giggled lightly and stood up. It reminded him of another time at Seto's house where he had gotten into the candy and ended up running around the house in a white sheet, waving Malik's shoe in the air and yelling 'I'm a ghostie! Fear me!'. Seto and Yami both hurt Bakura who had given Yugi the candy in the first place. It took five hours and six ropes to get the boy to calm down, but even then Yami had to carry the boy home.

Yugi laughed loudly this time as he remembered the look on his grandpa's face when the boys came home, one looking like he was about to drop dead from exhaustion, the other jumping on the first's back. He could remember they had both stayed home from school the next day, because Yugi had a stomachache and Yami had a headache. It turned out Bakura had also stayed home from school due to his numerous injuries.

The boy took one look around the room and walked over to the counter, deciding to leave Kyoji a note telling him where he was going to be, lest the boy worry. The note read:

Dear Kyoji,

I decided to go for a walk for a while. I should be back soon, but I might go to my hotel suite. I need to talk to Yami about what happened. Wish me luck. Thanks for everything. Call my cell if you want to check up.

Bye,

Yugi.

p.s. Oh, I borrowed your black jacket again. Hope you're not mad.

With that, he grabbed the jacket from the table and walked out. He practically ran out of the hotel, eager to be outside. The mountain was now full of people, the white surface dotted with colorful specks. Yugi took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, enjoying the crisp air that blew gently around him.

He opened his eyes and set off for the hiking trail, feeling happier with each step he took. He was soon skipping through the trees, giggling as he kicked up the snow against the trees, watching as the branches relieved themselves of their heavy burden. Soon he came upon the skating lake he had visited yesterday with Yami. There seemed to be more people skating than yesterday, so the boy decided to enter the small lodge and warm up.

Yugi walked inside and immediately turned to the left and entered the gift shop. He looked over the items, thinking about what to give his friends. There were so many things to choose from, he couldn't decide. Yugi figured he could come back later and buy the souvenirs when he returned to the hotel.

His ears picked up the sound of laughter and cheering and curiously walked into a room, only to find it was an arcade. He beamed as he saw a Duel Monsters battle in progress. He pushed his way up to the front to get a better look. He stood there and watched as a young girl defeated her opponent, the boy walking off of the stage looking dejected.

"So who will be next? I'm undefeated, but maybe someone out there can take that title away! Does anyone want to try?" She asked as she scanned the crowd, looking for her next opponent. When her eyes stopped on Yugi she let out a squeak of surprise and rushed over to him.

"Yugi Mouto! I can't believe you are here!"

The girl's cry caused the other spectators to push up to him, trying to see if it was really the King of Games. Suddenly Yugi was surrounded by kids, all begging him to duel them, or to teach them strategies. Many fan girls were swooning over him, asking him to marry them or something like that.

"Well s-see…I don't have my deck so I can't…really…" Yugi managed to get out, causing the fan girls to shriek in excitement. --Star: -shudders- Fan girls…-shudders- Yugi: X-X fan girls…Ra no-- Again the crowd pushed into him, and suddenly he was getting offers to use someone's deck in a duel. Yugi felt like he was going to pass out as so many people were against him. He had a feeling he was going to be blushing forever, the heat on his face making him look like a tomato.

"Uh…well…I don't know…"

"Yugi duel me!" a voice called out, louder than the others. Yugi looked up to the stage and saw the girl from before. "Duel me! I'm the champion here, so I should get to duel against the World's Greatest Duelist! And I'm going to win!"

Yugi couldn't help but smile. He liked the girls attitude, she reminded him of Jou. He nodded and borrowed a deck from someone. He climbed up on the duel arena and faced the girl. "Good luck," he said.

"It's you who'll need it," the girl said with a smirk, surprising Yugi for a second before he smirked back. "Ready?"

"Yea."

"Let's Duel!" the both cried in unison.

Ten minutes later Yugi shook the hand of the girl, and thanked her for the duel. "That was fun. You were a tough opponent."

"It was great dueling against you Yugi. I might have lost, but I still can't believe I got to duel the King of Games."

Yugi smiled at her and turned to walk out when the girl's voice stopped her. "I don't think you can get out anymore."

Yugi turned back to her, confusion across his face. The girl laughed and pointed at the crowd that was fighting to get close to Yugi. "At least not until you duel every single person in here."

Yugi sweatdropped as he looked across the room, seeing more people than before. They probably heard he was there and wanted to duel him or mob him or something. (This will be…fun)

A few hours later Yugi finally managed to duel and defeat every duelist in the arcade. He had also signed autographs, taken pictures, helped create decks, and taught strategies. Not to mention he had also refused numerous marriage proposals, and even a few to be the father of a child. To say he was tired was an understatement, but it was fun. He felt like going to sleep right there, but still had some energy to walk around. He stepped outside, and found it was already getting dark. He checked his watch to find it was already six p.m.

Yugi gasped in shock, and started to race down the path when something stopped him. It wasn't anything physical, but more…like something was pulling at his soul, dragging him from the path. He walked into a small clearing as the pull got stronger. He didn't know what was going on, but felt like he had to continue. This feeling was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had felt it before. The boy walked past the trail barriers and into a deep part of the woods, the sky getting darker as not only the sun set, but the trees became more dense.

The entire area was deathly silent, not even the sound of the wind penetrating the foliage. The snow seemed to shimmer in a supernatural way, reflecting the light that was not there. The leaves gently blowing in a wind that was not present, falling down and landing in his path, almost as if it were a trail that he was supposed to follow. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder guiding him, yet at the same time felt nothing. He felt the breeze lightly caress his cheeks, but felt nothing in the air. He heard a whisper all around him, but still heard nothing.

All these things he could sense, but at the same time he didn't know where it was coming from. He was becoming dizzy and confused and decided to just follow along the path. He noticed the trees were becoming more dense, their roots pushing up through the ground, making it hard for the boy to walk across. He ended up climbing over some of the larger roots. Unfortunately, he wasn't careful enough as he ripped a small hole in his pants. "Itai! Why me?" he asked himself as he kept going.

Yugi didn't know why he didn't turn back. Every time he thought about turning around, he felt the voice become louder, the hand on his shoulder push more urgently. He just didn't feel like going back. Not that he could at this point. He was so far gone into the forest, he had lost sight of the path. Not that he actually cared. He just kept going on, kept listening to the soft voice calling him.

Suddenly, Yugi walked out of the trees and stood in front of a great big lake. His violet eyes widened incredibly as he took in the sight. The sky was dark now, the sun having set an hour ago, casting the moonlight against the waters. The lake was frozen over, the ice shimmering in the pale light. The snow piled around the banks, creating a small white wall around the water. Yugi couldn't help but stop breathing at the sight.

"It's…it's the…lake. It's the lake…from my dream," the teen said, shock still radiating through his body. How could it be? It just wasn't possible! This wasn't a dream! This was the real world! There was no way that this lake was here! But no matter how hard he tried to deny it, the icy blue water didn't disappear. It spread out in front of him, taunting him, urging him out to the middle.

"No…no way this can be real…" he whispered as he unconsciously took a step forward. He jumped back when he realized what he was doing, starting to turn around and walk back. But again the voice stopped him. It wouldn't let him go. It begged him to stay there. Begged him to go out and play on the glassy surface. It begged and pleaded so hard that Yugi couldn't help but comply.

He cautiously placed a foot on the water, gently putting his weight on it. When he was certain that the ice wouldn't break under him, he slowly walked out to the middle. As he walked he took in his surroundings. The trees were dense and black in the center, only the tops shining with the white snow. The sky was cloudless, the stars glowing brightly, the moon illuminating the world with it's pearly radiance. The wind felt as soft as silk when it caressed his cheeks, causing the boy to shiver in delight. Yugi closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, fully relaxing in his environment. This was the most peaceful place he had ever been.

Yugi opened his eyes and noticed he was at the center of the lake. He turned in a circle and realized that this lake wasn't as big as the one in his dream, but it was still bigger than the skating lake the hotel owned. (I wonder if anyone owns this lake. I wonder why the hotel didn't take this one for skating. Maybe it was too far a walk.)

Yugi suddenly stood up straight and looked around. He thought he had heard something around him. He looked in every direction, searching frantically for the sound. When he saw nothing out of the ordinary, he let out the breath he had unconsciously sucked in. "Ok, there is nothing out here. It's just me," Yugi said to himself as he turned to walk back. He took one step when………

CRACK!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yami: 'crack'? Why is there a 'crack'? There should be no 'crack' because 'crack' is 'bad' and 'bad' is 'not good' and 'not good' is the opposite of what I want, and what I want is Yugi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Star: x-x Ow my ears…pain. Calm down Yami everything is coming together.

Yami: Make it come together now!

Star: Uh…It's already the end of the chapter.

Yami: (glares at Star. grabs Yugi and runs away) MINE!

Yugi: T.T Why me?

Star: o…k. Anyway stay tuned for the next chapter which WILL be posted up soon! I promise!


	21. Search for the Lost

Star: O.O Ka……wa……ii…so…ka…wa…………ii ::drool::

Yugi: What's she doing now?

Yami: She's in shock cause she found baby pictures of me when I was in Ancient Egypt.

Yugi: Didn't she find them a week ago?

Star: O.O so…kawa…ii……so…chubby….::drool/drool::

Yami: I am not chubby! -.-

Star: X . X so…chubby……baby…::drool/drool/drool::

Yugi: XD Aww, but you were a cute chubby baby ::glomps Yami::

Yami: -.- Is that supposed to be a compliment?

disclaimer: ::to the tune of Bingo was his Name-o:: I hate lawyers, yes I do, I hate them very much-o. I really hate them, I really hate them, I really hate them, I don't own Yugioh-o!

Yugi: She never ceases to surprise me.

Star: Chubby……Yami……baby……::drool::

Yami: ::pokes Star:: Are you going to be like this all day?

Star: ::falls over:: X . X ka…wa…ii……

(0o0o0o0) - beginning and end of dream

((Yami's thoughts))

---review replies will be at bottom---

-------------------Search for the Lost-----------------

The suite was completely silent, not a sound in its walls. Everything was peacefully quite, but also resonated the feeling of loss. The silence was suddenly broken by a soft groan, followed by the sound of bed sheets being rustled. The young resident of the room, slowly opened his sharp, red eyes, and blinked slowly, adjusting his eyes to the light that poured from the window.

Those eyes scanned the room slowly, taking in every detail, as if the boy was unsure of his surroundings. Bit by bit, his memory returned to him and he sat up, shaking his head to clear away the last bit of sleep that fogged his mind. The same crimson eyes made their way over to the alarm clock that lay on the table beside the boy's bed. They read the neon green numbers that showed the time as 1:20 p.m.

"I slept late today," the boy said in his deep, baritone voice. He stretched his stiff limbs, the bed sheets falling off of his bare, tanned chest. The scarlet eyes scanned the room again, as if searching for something. Once realizing that the object of his search wasn't there, the eyes grew dim with sadness, and lowered to the white sheets covering his legs. The boy looked up again, though his eyes still held the sadness, the once sharp, crimson orbs now dulled with pangs of loneliness. The teen boy stood up with a yawn and calmly walked into the bathroom, eyes still roaming through the suite, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sight he was looking for.

When the boy reached his destination, he sighed and looked in the mirror, staring at his reflection. The reflection of Yami, the powerful Pharaoh, stared back at him. He frowned at his image before him, noting serious flaws in his appearance. His hair was wild and messy, the spikes sticking up in all directions, drooping over his shoulders. His beautiful tanned skin was paling slightly, slowly removing his Egyptian look. There were small bags under his eyes, indicating that he had gotten very little sleep the night before. His eyes were dulled and slightly reddened around the corners.

Yami sighed again, and shook his head. He never used to look this way. He always looked perfect, no matter what he was doing. It was amazing what a few lost hours of sleep and constant worry would do to someone. The teen chuckled slightly at that thought, and turned around, turned on the shower and stepped inside. He let out a quiet moan of happiness when the hot water touched his cool skin, warming his entire body. Yami closed his eyes and let his mind drift as the water flowed down.

A while later he stepped out of the shower and looked at his reflection again. This time he smiled as he gazed upon the mirror. He looked normal again, the regal aura returned to the Pharaoh. Yami got dressed and walked out, checking the time of the clock as he walked through the living room.

"I seem to be wasting time today," he said as he read the clock that said 1:45. He blushed slightly as his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything in a few hours. Since it was too late to have breakfast, he decided a small lunch would have to do. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw a small pair of gloves lying on the counter. Yami quickly averted his eyes, and tried to concentrate on something other than the person who owned those gloves. His mind though was against him, and soon Yami found himself wondering about his missing aibou.

((I wonder where he is right now. I really wish I could see him again. I need to see him. I need to apologize to him for everything. It was all my fault. If it wasn't for me Yugi would still be here with me.))

Yami sat down at the counter and placed his head on his arms, playing with the fingers of the small black gloves. He stared sadly at the cold material in his hands, missing the warm hands that would normally occupy them. He smiled slightly at how they fit perfectly around his hand. He never knew how much he loved holding Yugi's tiny hand in his, feeling the smooth, pale skin under his. Never knew until he had lost it. He lost his aibou……and to a strange jerk nonetheless.

Just the thought of Kyoji set Yami's blood on fire. The spirit hated the older boy with a passion that not even the fires of Ra could compare. It was all his fault after all that he and Yugi had gotten into the fight. It was his fault that he had punched his light, his fault that he had driven his aibou farther away from him. It was all because of the boy with the silver eyes.

Yami growled quietly. He didn't know what Yugi saw in him anyway, he was just a stupid, retarded nineteen year old boy with no life. Who would even give him a second glance? Obviously Yugi would. He went out with the jerk. And he never came back afterwards. Yami wasn't worried that something happened. He knew his hikari wouldn't do something like that on the first date……or at least he hoped that was the truth.

The Pharaoh groaned and banged his head lightly on the counter top. He hated the way his life was going right now. He not only lost the one he loved, but he lost him to a jerk who had no idea of anything. He would never understand everything that had happened in both his and Yugi's past. He would never comprehend the powers of the Millennium Items, never grasp the rules of the Shadow Realm. Kyoji was just a naïve fool who would never be accepted by him.

In his frustration, Yami had unconsciously clenched his right hand, the one with the gloves in it, so tightly his nails had dug into his skin, drawing a few drops of blood. Yami gasped when he saw the red liquid slightly staining the leather glove. Suddenly he felt the pain run through his arm making him wince a bit. Luckily for him the material was so dark it was impossible to find the stain.

"Only Yugi could do this to me," he said with a chuckle. He stood up from the counter and walked over to the sink, letting the cool water trickle over his wound, cleansing it in a few seconds. Once he had healed himself he decided he was too bored, so he got out his laptop and logged in, noting the time on the computer clock said it was 2:10. "I really _am_ wasting time today," the Pharaoh said as he received an i.m from Jou.

S.K'spuppy: Hi Yami. What's up?

KingYami: Nothing much. Very tired.

S.K'spuppy: webcam

Yami reached over and turned on the webcam, instantly seeing his aibou's best friend appear on the screen. He offered a small smile to the blonde as he stifled a yawn.

"Why ya so tired?"

"I stayed up late last night."

"Why would you do something like that?" the blonde asked as he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"……Just cause. So anyway what's up with you?" Yami asked, diverting the conversation from something other than why he had stayed up late last night.

Jou knew he was changing the topic, but decided not to press the issue. "Oh nothing much. I talked to Honda and Ryou earlier. I feel so sorry for Ryou. He had the cops over last night cause someone said they saw a strange man sneak into the house with some stolen goods."

"Bakura just never gives up. So what happened?" asked Yami, praying that the tomb robber was locked in a cold jail cell at the very moment.

"The cops searched his house but they didn't find anything stolen. Bakura was hiding in the Ring the whole time, cursing the person who called them. It turns out Bakura didn't steal anything."

"So why was he hiding?"

"Ryou says he thought they were coming to bust him on another theft charge. I don't know how he puts up with that crazy psychopath."

"Ryou is truly strong willed, but I feel very sorry for him," Yami said shaking his head. The silver haired hikari surprised Yami sometimes. After all, you had to have an unending patience when it comes to Bakura. The thief was capable of some horrible things, and if it were up to Yami, the other spirit would be spending eternity in the Shadow Realm. Ryou, for some reason, decided to keep him around. The teen didn't know how Ryou could stand living with him for more than a minute, but it was probably because of the love they shared.

Yet again, Yami was left out. Bakura had his hikari to love, and what did Yami have? Nothing. It was unfair how Bakura, a lowly tomb thief, could have something so precious, while he, the greatest Pharaoh of Egypt, had nothing. Was this some sort of punishment from the gods? Were they getting back at him for something? Could it be because he had decided to stay in the living world instead of passing on? Would he ever know? Probably not.

"He said he had talked to Bakura and that he was innocent, but I think Ryou might have said that to get the cops to go away. If it were me, I would have turned him in a long time ago."

"Forget turning him in. The Shadow Realm is the best place to put him."

"What is it with you yamis and the Shadow Realm?! It's always 'Shadow Realm this', or 'Shadow Realm that'. If the Shadow Realm vanished, I swear the three of you would break down and cry like little babies," Jou said.

Yami burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. Ok, so maybe the three of them were just a little dependent on the Shadow Realm to get rid of things they didn't like. "Well what about you Jou? Remember that one time you said you wished you could send your science teacher to the Shadow Realm?"

"He was being unfair! He deserved to go the Shadow Realm!" the honey-eyed boy said in defense.

"Jou, he confiscated your magazine and said you couldn't get it back till you got an 'A' on the next test. How is that unfair?"

"Because he expected me to get an 'A'!"

Yami rolled his eyes and chuckled. That was just like Jou. "You got help from Kaiba and you got away with a 'B'. And he decided to give it back to you in the end."

"Yea, but still. So maybe the Shadow Realm isn't all that bad. Remember the time Marik sent the gym coach to the Shadow Realm because he wouldn't let Marik swim without the school swim cap on?"

"Like it would fit," scoffed Yami.

"Look who's talking porcupine head! I'm amazed that either of you yamis can wear anything on your heads! All three of you have such spiky hair!"

"Hey shut up! It's not as bad as Honda's!"

"That's one spike! You three have about a hundred!"

"……Leave me alone!" Yami yelled, burying his face in a pillow. He could hear Jou's laughter, and started chuckling. At least he wasn't in a bad mood anymore. He looked up and gave Jou a big smile. He could always count on him to make him feel better. Even though he was Yugi's best friend, he felt that he and Jou had a special bond. Right now he needed a true friend to help him out of the hole he was in.

"So Yami," started Jou, a serious tone in his voice. "Have you talked to Yugi yet?"

"…No. I haven't seen him since we had the fight."

"Wasn't that yesterday? You haven't seen him for an entire day?"

"Yea."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

You don't know?! How can you not know? What if something happened to him?!"

"I can sense that he is safe."

"That's not good enough! What if something were to happen to him and you aren't there to help him?"

"If anything were to happen to him, Kyoji will be there for him."

"Who?"

"Kyoji," Yami said, speaking the name as if it were poison.

"And he's who?"

"He's the snowboarding teacher here. He's the guy that Yugi went out with yesterday."

"He's the reason that you two got in the fight?"

"Yea. I can't stand the guy. Everything was going fine till he asked him out."

"So Yugi really went out with him. But wait……you haven't seen him since the fight? He never came back last night?!" Jou asked, shock in his voice. He would never think that Yugi would do that to anyone, no matter how mad he was at them.

"No. I'm guessing he spent the night at Kyoji's suite," Yami said, averting his eyes from the screen. He didn't want to even think that something might have happened between the two. He knew that Jou was thinking that, it was clearly written all over his face. If he looked at Jou he knew he would start doubting his thoughts.

"I can't believe he did that…I didn't think he'd be that mad at you as to not come back afterwards," Jou said, avoiding saying what he thought. He knew it would only make Yami feel worse, and that was something he was not willing to do.

"You should have seen him yesterday. He was so mad at me. It was like he hated me, like he wanted me to disappear and die, so that he would be rid of me. He even told me to go to hell," Yami said with a light chuckle. Why he found that funny in a situation like this was beyond him.

"Come on, do you really think he'd want you to disappear forever? Yugi might be mad, but there is no way he'd ever get that mad at you…right?"

"I don't know. The way he spoke yesterday certainly gave me the idea that was what he wanted. Of course at that time I was also mad at him. I called him pathetic and weak, and a spoiled little brat. And now I can't get those words out of my head," Yami said quietly. "I was so stupid. I should never have called him that. Yugi is one of the strongest people I know, how I could ever call him weak, no matter how mad I was, is hard for me to accept. I was a fool then, and I'm an even bigger fool now."

"Yami don't be so hard on yourself. Anyone in your situation would have reacted the same way. You can't help it that you were mad. You had a good reason for getting mad and not wanting him to go out with that Kyoji dude."

"Yea, but what was my 'good reason' for hitting him?"

Jou stayed silent. He knew he couldn't answer the question. Even if he did have an answer, it was not for him to figure out. It was Yami's question to solve, and Jou couldn't do it for him. He would help the spirit out as much as possible, but they both knew that Yami was on his own for this one.

"There is no 'good reason'. I hurt my hikari, and nothing, not even Ra could change that and make it better," the Pharaoh said. He drew his knees up to his chest and buried his face in a pillow. He just wanted to break down and cry, the tears already forming at the edges of his crimson eyes. He seemed to grow worse the longer he was away from his aibou. Nothing, not even Jou's humor could help him out of this.

"Just apologize to him. I'm sure he feels just as bad. You and I both know that Yugi never stays mad for long. He rarely gets mad at all, and when its over, he usually feels so bad after. I don't think that you would be an exception, even if you did…hurt him."

"You think?" came Yami's muffled question. He felt a tiny spark of hope in his despair, but not too much that he would be crushed if it turned out to be true. He just wanted so badly to believe Jou, but he couldn't be hurt a second time. It was already too painful being separated from the one he loved. He couldn't handle if Yugi hated him forever.

"I'm positive. But come on, let's talk about something good. It creeps me out when you are all depressed," said Jou with a laugh. Yami laughed along with him. Soon, the two boys were talking about random topics, their laughter filling the suite. It was just like old times, and everything was normal, perfect.

Two hours later Yami and Jou said their goodbyes, and logged off. Yami got off the bed and stretched, loosening his stiff muscles. He let himself fall backwards on the bed, landing with a plop. He arched his back into the air as he let out a long yawn. It seems his lost hours of sleep were catching up with him. With a small smile, the spirit let his crimson eyes slide shut, taking him into the land of dreams.

(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)

Yami stood there in the snow, the wind beating harshly against his face. The small shards of ice biting into his skin, causing it to tingle faintly. The sky had grown completely dark now, the last trace of light disappearing over the tree tops, leaving the boy and his surroundings in darkness.

But Yami noticed none of this. The teen simply stood there in the cold, completely separated from all around him. He was lost now, unable to be brought back from his emotional separation. He was now like a little child, alone in an uncaring world that waited to attack him from the shadows and bring him into its cold grip.

Yami's eyes focused on nothing as he stared at the ground in front of him. Nothing mattered to him anymore, not even his own safety. He had lost the will to care, lost everything that he needed to continue. The spark of light that had given him life was lost to him now and he was left in the dark, the life slowly being pulled from him as he forgot the world around him.

Slowly he lowered himself to the ground, leaning against the back of a tree that offered him partial shelter from the storm. But nothing could shelter him from the heartache he was feeling right now. Nothing in the world a big enough distraction from the pain. Nothing could make him forget.

As if to taunt him, his memory flashed an image of Yugi, the small boy's cold, uncaring smile seeming to grow in it's malice each time the Pharaoh remembered. Each time he felt more heartache, more pain in his soul at losing the only one he loved in the world. Each time he suffered more internally, he felt less externally.

His skin had become numb to the harsh temperatures blowing around him. He no longer felt cold or heat, all were the same to him. All meant absolutely nothing. Yami was slowly slipping away from the world, disappearing as the snow blew harder. The Pharaoh felt a chill go up his spine but it was not from the cold, it was from sorrow he felt.

Yami just couldn't get over it. How could he have been so foolish? How could he have let himself loose the one he loved? Yugi was right there, he could have helped him, could have saved him, but instead he let Yugi be taken from him, let his precious light be lost. He was the worlds biggest fool, and no one and nothing could change that.

The scarlet eyed teen felt a few cold crystalline tears flow down his wind beaten cheeks. He made no effort to wipe them away and let them fall on the snow covered ground. Yami lifted his eyes to the black sky and silently asked the gods why they put him through such suffering. He prayed to them to take him out of this pain, but he knew only Yugi could release him from this agony. Only Yugi's soft voice, his sweet smile, his gentile caresses could heal Yami's wounds, but now that the one who could save him, his radiant hikari, was gone from him, he was doomed to live on in his misery.

((Why Yugi? Why did you leave me? Why did you doom me to this life without you? I can't survive without you by my side. I must have you by me, by my side always so that I can go on. There is nothing in this world worth living for if I don't have you. Please come back my precious aibou. My beautiful Yugi, the only one who could ever cause me so much sadness, so much sorrow, grief, happiness, and laughter at the same time. Please don't…please come back to me. Please my aibou, I don't want to loose you. I don't want to loose the one I love, not now, not ever.))

Finally Yami got tired and decided to stand up and walk. He didn't know where he was walking to, and he could care less if he walked off a cliff. He let his feet take him anywhere, keeping his eyes locked on the ground. He walked past snowcapped trees, occasionally hearing the snow fall from the frozen branches and land on the hard ground. The moon shone through the branches, leaving little patches of light on the forest floor, lighting his way through the dense foliage. The wind and snow still blew against him, though it's fierce was slowly dying down.

Soon he vaguely noticed that the trees seemed to be thinning out, letting more light shine in. He lifted his red rimmed eyes from the ground and focused them on the path in front of him. Far ahead Yami noticed that there was a clearing. He stopped in his tracks and stepped back. Did he really want to go there? Not really, but then again there was no place for him to go anyway. As he turned he got a strange feeling inside him. Something was waiting for him. Something……out there was calling for him to go closer. He knew it could be a trap, but he was filled with a desire to confront the…thing.

He cautiously stepped into the clearing and came face to face with a giant lake. He couldn't see the opposite bank from where he was standing. He couldn't even tell where the middle of the lake was. The moon shone so brightly off it's surface, the Pharaoh had to avert his eyes and look at the frozen, blue waters at his feet. The spirit knelt down and gently touched the surface. As his slender fingers landed on the ice, he got another call from the voice. It wanted him to go out to the water, wanted him to walk the dark, possibly dangerous surface.

Yami shrugged and stepped onto it, and calmly but slowly walked across. What did he care if the ice under him broke and he fell into the icy depths, never to return to the surface. Did it matter? No, he didn't think so. Besides, he knew the…whatever it was that was calling him would not go to all the trouble of getting him there if it was only to drown him. So he walked, and kept walking.

(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)

Yami's eyes shot open as the teen sat up quickly, his breath coming out in light pants. What was that? It was another dream but it wasn't like the ones before. This time he could feel the calling. He could sense that something was reaching out to him, trying to get him, to pull him into its clutches. To say he was a little freaked was an understatement.

With a groan he rolled off the bed and landed on the floor with a thud. He rolled over on his back and covered his face with the blankets that had been pulled to the floor with him. He concentrated on his breathing till his breaths were coming out slow and even. With another groan, he slowly sat up, wincing as his injured back shot a bolt of pain through his spine.

He stood up and silently looked around the suite, his eyes landing on the clock that read 5 p.m. Finally deciding that there was nothing of interest in the rooms, he grabbed his coat and walked out. He entered the elevator and exited on the first floor. He walked into the lounge area and sat by the windows, looking out at the white wonderland that lay before him.

He sighed and placed his head on the back of the bench he was in, his eyes glazing over as he went everything that had occurred over the past 24 hours. He couldn't believe that so many life changing things could happen in such a short amount of time. The crimson eyed boy went over everything in detail, hoping to find the point in time where everything changed.

After a while, he got up and wandered around the hotel, not noticing that he was nearing the same bar that he had visited. The moment he entered through the doors, the young bartender called him over. Yami walked over and gave a small smile to the man, sitting down in the same stool as the night before.

"So kid, how are you today?" asked the man as he stood in front of Yami, tossing a glass from hand to hand.

"I've been better," Yami replied, watching the object fly through the air, only to be caught by a waiting hand, and quickly tossed back.

"Really? So I'm guessing you haven't fixed your relationship problem yet."

"No, he never came back last night," Yami said quietly.

"Whoo, tough luck kid," the bartender said, letting out a breath of air that ruffled his bangs.

"I know what you are thinking, and no, it did not happen," Yami said harshly, slightly glaring at the bartender who held his hands up in defense.

"Ok, ok. I get you. So have you talked to him yet?"

"No, I haven't seen him since yesterday. I'm guessing he's spending the day with the guy."

"You two got into a fight, right?"

"…Yea. We haven't been in a fight for so long, and it feels strange and…scary knowing that I got so mad at him."

"So you haven't apologized yet?"

"No, not yet."

"You shouldn't put it off. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for him to accept it."

"You sound just like my friend Jou," Yami said, resting his head on his arms and gazing down at the marble countertop.

"This Jou guy sounds pretty smart," said the elder of the two with a laugh.

Yami laughed along with him, what he said was pretty funny. Not that he was insulting Jou's intelligence or anything, but hearing someone, a stranger none the less, call Jou smart was not something the spirit heard very often.

"You should listen to your friends, sometimes they know what's best for your life better than you do," the man said, noting Yami's eyes had drifted to the soda machine. He walked over and pulled out a Pepsi and handed it to Yami, surprising the Pharaoh greatly.

"What's this for?"

"You gotta learn to be less sad about things. It's not good for your health, and it makes everything worse. Remember what I told you last night, everything will turn out great in the end. So quit your worrying."

Yami smiled brightly at him, taking the Pepsi with a thanks. He spent his time there talking to the bartender about things, always getting a Pepsi each time he finished the one he had. He was being given a lot of advice, and he couldn't be more grateful for the help.

Suddenly he got a chill throughout his body. He was confused for a few seconds before he got another one. He glanced around him but saw nothing out of the ordinary. There were people scattered everywhere, men, women and some teens. The waiters and bartenders serving the peoples needs. He saw nothing strange but then why did he get the feeling something was about to happen?

The Pharaoh glanced at his watch and noticed the time was 5:45 p.m. He bit his lip, starting to get a little worried for his light as another chill passed through him. He decided it was time to go look for Yugi, no matter if Yugi was still angry at him.

"Hey do you know a guy named Kyoji?" he asked the bartender.

"Sure! He's a cool guy," the bartender replied, noting the look of disgust that crossed the other teens face at the compliment. "Why?"

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"Umm…it's almost six, so he should be at the ski shop closing up."

"Thanks!" Yami said as he ran out of the bar, leaving the other man confused.

Yami ran outside the hotel and sped down to the ski shop, looking for anyone with silver eyes and brown hair. Finally after ten minutes, he spotted the teen coming out of the back of the store. He really didn't want to talk to him, but in order to find Yugi, he would have to. He took a few deep breaths before running after the boy.

"Kyoji!" he called out, causing the silver eyed boy to stop and turn around.

"Y-Yami?"

"Have you seen Yugi?" Yami asked immediately. He just wanted to find Yugi and have as little contact with Kyoji as possible.

"No, I thought he was with you," the other boy replied, looking confused.

"With me?"

"Yea, he was over at my place in the morning. I had to go run errands and when I got back he left a note saying he was going to talk to you."

"When was that?"

"Umm…around 11 I think. Why, he never met you?"

Yami didn't answer him, but stared blankly, a worried look on his face. ((Where could Yugi be?)) he thought as he bit his lip, thinking about all the places where his aibou could be right now.

"Wait! I remember! He said he was going for a walk, maybe he went through the forest paths. He might be at the skating lake."

"But why would he stay there for so long? And besides, doesn't it close at a certain time?"

"Yea, but that's at 8. There is a game arcade inside the lodge, maybe he's over there," offered Kyoji as he looked off in the direction of the lodge.

That thought gave Yami some comfort that his hikari was safe and enjoying himself, but as his watch beeped 6 p.m., he was suddenly filled with dread. He got a bad feeling that coursed through his veins, making him feel sick. He could sense a strange aura somewhere on the mountain, but he didn't know where they came from. There was something calling him. He heard the soft voice drifting across the air. He realized now that Yugi was not at the lodge. Yugi was somehow going to be in danger. The spirit's protective instinct took over, suppressing, but not ridding him of the fear that plagued his mind.

"Kyoji…" Yami said in a whisper, his crimson eyes narrowed and serious, though fear and desperation flickered through his eyes. "What is the fastest way to the lake?"

"The snowmobiles, why?"

"I need to borrow one," the Pharaoh said, turning his gaze on the teen in front of him.

"They are locked up. I'm not allowed to use one unless it's for an extreme emergency."

"This is an extreme emergency!" the younger said, getting aggravated that some stupid rule was getting in his way of finding his lost aibou and making sure that he was safe.

"What? What do you-"

"Yugi's in danger!" Yami yelled, surprising the taller boy.

"What?! How do you know?"

"I can't explain now, but Yugi and I have a special bond and I can tell that he's in trouble. If we don't find him soon something might happen! So I need to borrow a snowmobile!"

"But the rules-"

"Forget the damn rules! Kyoji I know how you feel about Yugi! It's the same way I feel, so please just help me!" Yami said, looking Kyoji straight in the eye despite the fact that he had just admitted to being in love with Yugi to the other person who was in love with the amethyst eyed boy.

Kyoji was in stunned silence. Yami loved Yugi? Why didn't he see it before? No wonder Yami didn't want Yugi to go out with him. Kyoji stared back into Yami's eyes, seriousness etched into his eyes and his voice as he said, "We could be arrested."

"I don't care."

"Then follow me," the older teen said as he walked to the side of the shop and opened a door. Inside he uncovered one of the snowmobiles and did a quick inspection. He grabbed the keys and pushed the machine out onto the snow. He climbed on and Yami climbed on behind him.

"Hold on," Kyoji said as he sped down the trail, going as fast as he could while still maintaining a good visibility rate. While he drove, Yami was looking out for any signs of his aibou, calling his name out hoping to get an answer.

They quickly approached the skating lodge and jumped off, Kyoji entering the building, while Yami searched among the crowd of skaters. They met up at the bike again, neither finding anything.

"The girl there said Yugi was here earlier and that he left at six. It's now 6:20, so we had to have passed him."

"But how? There is only one trail," Yami said looking back at the path they had come from.

"That's the thing. We should have seen him and unless he was walking through the trees, there is no way we should have missed him."

"Where could he be? Is there another path from here to the hotel?"

"There are two others, one coming from the right side of the forest to this lake and the other from the left. All paths lead here, there is no where else to go."

"And he couldn't have gone to the mountain so quickly. That means he's still here in the forest. Let's look some more," Yami said as they got back on the bike and traveled down the path again.

Suddenly Yami's senses were on fire. He felt another bolt of dread course through his body. Something was calling him, but he didn't like it. It was strange and he couldn't place where it was coming from. But with each second it became stronger, as if desperate for him to follow it. "Kyoji stop!"

"What why?" the brunette asked as he stopped the bike.

"Yugi……he's in the forest."

"What? The forest is blocked off. No one is allowed there."

"Yugi's in there! I have to go after him," Yami said as he started to run off.

"Wait! You could get lost! The forest is dangerous and it is pitch black in there. You can't see anything in front of you and even with a flashlight, it'd be too dark to see anything."

"I can't just leave him there! I'm going after him!" Yami said as he grabbed a flashlight and started off again.

"But it's too dark-" protested Kyoji again.

"Don't worry, I'm used to the darkness," Yami said as he turned to face the boy, his crimson eyes shining with a mysterious light, a strange, almost inhuman aura surrounding the teen. Yami took off running into the forest, while Kyoji headed on the path to the right, stopping to ask the people if they had seen Yugi.

Yami ran through the trees, the beam of the flashlight illuminating the dark forest in front of him. He checked his watch again, wondering if it was late or if it was just the dense branches of the giant trees surrounding him. 6:37, which means the sun had almost completely disappeared, the only bit of light it still produced was faint streaks of red, and that didn't help him at all.

The teen ran through the trees, calling out the name of his lost love. With each second that passed, the feeling of dread grew stronger. It soon engulfed his entire being, making the spirit extremely afraid. 6:46 now, and the voice that was calling him seemed to grow louder each time he made a move to turn, as if warning him not to stray off the path it was leading him on.

As he ran he started noting that this was just like his dream. In fact, everything that happened the past day was just like the dream. It was as if his dream was coming to life. Loosing Yugi, the stranger that took him, ::Star: No, the person in Yami and Yugi's dream was _NOT_ Kyoji::, the forest, everything! Yami was getting creeped. What was going on? Nothing like this ever happened when they were at home, so why here? Why now?

Suddenly, as Yami was climbing over the giant roots of the trees, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of something blue. He leaned over the roots and picked it up. It was a scrap of material that looked like it had been torn from something. Yami's eyes widened as he realized it came from a pair of pants that Yugi owned. Yugi had been through here! Yami's pace quickened as he practically jumped over the roots and ran forwards. His calls became louder and more desperate. If Yugi was near then he would be able to hear him! 6:53 p.m and still no sign.

All of a sudden, Yami burst out into a clearing and stopped in front of a huge lake. He looked around frantically, afraid that he had ended up back at the skating lake, but one look around proved him wrong. This lake was much bigger than the other, probably three times bigger. The spirit walked along the bank, looking for the fastest way to get across. The moon above creeped out of the cloud cover it had been in for the past few minutes and shone its pale light on the ground below it, lighting up the lake till the dark blue waters shone like jewels. 7:00 beeped his watch.

Yami stared out across the waters and blinked. ((It couldn't be. No possible way,)) he thought as he cautiously stepped on the ice to get a better look. There was something in the middle of the lake. With each step Yami took, the spirit grew more apprehensive. It just _couldn't_ be. Fate could _not_ be that cruel. Yami's breath stopped as he realized what it was. There was a giant gaping hole in the middle of the ice and lying halfway inside the hole was Yugi, soaking wet and unconscious.

"YUGI!!!!!!"

* * *

Star: I did it! I finished it in less than a week!

Yugi: Good for you! ……have you seen Yami?

Star: O.O Yami? Uh…well…

Yugi: O.o Where is he?

Star: Um…I gave him a bat…and a piñata that looks like Kyoji…

::in background:: 'thwack' Die Kyoji! 'thwack' HAHAHA! 'thwack'thwack'thwack'

Yugi: x.x Why?

Star: Uh…temporary lapse of sanity?

Yugi: I think I'm gonna lie down now.

Star: Review and keep waiting!

---review replies---

PrincessAiragail - Lol, is this update fast enough? I'm glad you like this fic

Punk Goth Vampire Jade - Don't worry, they will get together. You thought it was funny? Something I wrote was funny? Thank you!

crsg - I'm glad you like it this much. XD I love Yami/Yugi too. YAMI/YUGI 4EVA!

flyingshadow370 - Yay, another person likes my fic! Tank'u for the review, and I hope you liked this one.

Ravekizu - X.X wow…you _really_ like this story that much? Wow…XD I'm in shock

Katsfire - Don't worry, Yugi will be fine. You'll see very soon.

Ms Hobgoblin - XD Yami's coming to the rescue. I'm sorry, but I like cliffies. But at least mine aren't as bad as my friend's. She puts cliffies in the middle of a sentence!

Hob x peach - lol, cliffies are the devil's work, huh?

ozumas girl - Yay! Another person who hates Kyoji. Actually I'm starting to feel sorry for him, what with everyone trying to kill him and all. But what I don't understand is why everyone thinks he's lying just to get Yugi. He does love Yugi and all……hmm…I wonder… Lol, sorry but he can't die yet. He does have a part in this.

Dragonite Himura no Tenshi Ryu - Thank you. He's going to save Yugi don't worry.

Amme - You are close, but it's not hypothermia. It's something else, but you were right about the falling through the ice gives you Yugi plushie Have a prize. O.O!!!!!!! dying?! I'm dying?! T.T Why hasn't anyone told me?!!! I'm too young to die!!!! I'm sorry for not updating soon, I have school and soccer and everything else that takes up my time, but from now on I am updating every week, no matter what!

crystal-eyes200 - T.T Why does everyone think I'm going to kill Yugi? But don't worry, he'll be fine-ish.

PaladinDragon - Sorry, but I like suspense…sorta. It will be over soon so don't worry. XD you can't kill my cliffies, they are what makes people go insane with wait. XD

setokaba - Sorry if you think it's going too long. To tell you the truth I only planned it on having less than 10 chaps, but somehow I got so many ideas that I had to put it in. (to tell the truth, Kyoji was never meant to be a main character and the date with him and Yugi was never planned) I'm glad you like it and don't worry, things will wrap up soon.

sarah harvey - I still have it. Just give me your email and I'll send it to you.

Janie in da House - XD Poor you.

Yugi's-Gal - I don't like it when he's in trouble either, but it makes for a good angst story, ne?

LarkaWhiteWolfOfDreams - XD He's ok. He might have fallen through but he's going to survive. I would never leave this story…cause everyone would kill me if I did.

Ralphiere - I've never tried bread, butter, and ketchup. But I love pb/j/b! It rules!

egyptianprincess1691 - Sorry, it took a little longer than a day, but here it is!

citcat-chan - XD yep, crack is evil XD

Egyptian Pristess Jasmine - I hate putting Yugi through this, but it makes the ending better. XD You liked the ghostie part? XD That was fun to write XD!!!

yaoilover-dani - Yes poor Yugi. But he will live! I actually don't want this to come together, cause that means the end is coming soon T.T

MysticJunebugs - I hope this was fast enough. I would have updated sooner, but I was put through the torture known as soccer practice

kenshinfan21 - Lol, you can send him to the Shadow Real, but if you send me then who will write the chapters?

Sansi - Sorry it took so long. I promise I won't take so long updating ever again unless it's for an extremely good reason. They are bakas, but that's what makes them cuter.

Drago-Kai - Everything will turn out great in the end

Frozen Demon - You know you wuv me too much to hurt me. -.-!!! I should hurt _**you**_ for what you did to Yugi in your story! My chapter is nothing compared to that! ::throws Chompy at you:: I hope you can run!

meowblecat - ::hugs back:: I'm glad you missed me. You liked that part? I was going over that part for a long time in my head trying to get it perfect. I'm happy you liked it. Yea, pb/j/b is great!

puffin - They will be together soon. You think this is good? ::faints::

MissDbzMedabots - X.X Sorry, but I had a lot of homework too. You liked the descriptions too? I spend days perfecting that. All in all I think throughout the entire chapter I probably got maybe 4 days worth of sleep out of 2 weeks. The dream is so mysterious that I don't even know what it's about.

Sylvia Viridian - You have to wait and find out what will happen, sorry

Silvershadowfire - Crack is bad, as you might have guessed. But Yugi will survive.

Sailor-M00n - Yami came, but he was a little late. But everything will be fine. XD

fluffys-sidesick - O.O hurt me? uh……hides

Vampiress24 - You like Kyoji? You are like…one of the few people that do. You liked the lake thingie? Yea, it took me a while though. X.X so tired from writing it.

Cherazz22784 - hugs back You missed me? Maybe I shouldn't take so long updating next time…Lol, a lot of people wanted Yami, and now you have an entire chapter for him. Nothing happened at Kyoji's place, so don't worry.

swtdreams07 - Here is a chapter full of Yami. XD Hope you liked.

Lecelamona Lecelanet Marzakey - Sorry this might not have been a soon as you wanted, but at least I got it in time.

solarsenshi - sorry, sorry, sorry, but I had work. T.T blame the teachers at school. O.O!!! Don't die! Not yet! Now you know why the hotel doesn't use the lake…or is the thin ice the _only_ reason they don't use it?

Yami Neferbre - Everyone hates cliffies, and so do I, but not when they are mine XD. I'm so evil

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel - Sorry to crush your hopes, but he did fall in the ice. T.T Why do I put Yugi through this?

Cathrath - Lol. I'm mean? Why thank you. XD I'm sorry for the torture, but you'll get more soon.


	22. Deceptive Smiles, Broken Tears

Star: HI! I hope everyone had a good time waiting for my update! :glomps Ryuichi plushie:

Yami: It's about time! What happens to Yugi?!?!?!?!?!

Star: I'm not telling!

Yami: :glare: Why?

Star: It's a secret! Right, Ryu-chan?

Ryuichi plushie: :nods:

Yami: I'll kill you!

Yugi: It's so touching how he cares so much for me.

disclaimer: (can't think of any song) I don't own Yugioh.

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

----------------major scene change---------------------

(0o0o0o0) - beginning and end of dream

----scene change in dream----

---------Deceptive Smiles, Broken Tears-----------

"Yugi."

A voice…so soft…

"Yugi…"

A groan…from himself.

A giggle.

"Silly Yugi, wake up."

Yugi opened his amethyst eyes slowly, wincing as a bright light shone into his sensitive eyes. Once he had gotten used to the light, he searched his surroundings. He was surprised to find himself lying on a frozen lake in the middle of a forest. Even more surprising was that a little girl, probably about nine or ten, was standing over him, an innocent smile on her face.

"It's about time. Don't you know you shouldn't sleep on ice? You really are silly, Yugi."

The boy sat up in pain, wincing as tense muscles were stretched. He looked up at the girl, confusion written all over his face. How had he gotten there? Why couldn't he remember anything?

"Who are you?" he asked quietly, noting his voice sounded strained, as if he had been yelling loudly.

"My name is Dot," the little girl answered politely, bowing slightly to Yugi, who smiled back at her. The girl was cute, with her strawberry blonde hair in pigtails that bounced every time she moved. Her light brown eyes held a sparkle of innocence and laughter in them. And she never stopped smiling.

"It's nice to meet you, Dot. But…how do you know who I am?"

The girl giggled lightly before answering, "Everyone knows who you are. You are famous. I have been waiting a long time to meet you."

Yugi blinked, thinking he had heard the innocence in her voice disappear, being replaced with a tone that sent shivers down Yugi's spine. Especially when she said she had been waiting for a long time. But that thought was pushed aside when the girl smiled at him again.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked as he stood up, stretching his arms, looking around at the trees that surrounded them, creating a dark barrier that meant to keep them in.

"We are at a lake silly. I come here sometimes to just play on the ice," Dot said as she spun in a circle.

"Isn't it dangerous out here? All by yourself? Where are your parents?"

"Actually, it's perfectly safe. There are no bad animals in the woods so I don't have to worry about that."

"And your parents?"

"They know where I am, so everything is fine. Now come play with me!" she said laughingly as she grabbed Yugi's hand.

Yugi felt for a second something leave him. For some reason, when the little girl grabbed his hand he felt colder, as if his warmth was being drawn out of him. He didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts as he was pulled into a dance by the little girl, spinning around and around in a circle till he felt so dizzy, he almost collapsed.

They both giggled as they spun around on the cold ice, forgetting their troubles for the brief moments when the world became a blur. Yugi felt so at peace here that he had thoughts of staying here with the girl and never being bothered by worldly matters ever again.

Then it hit him. What was bothering him? Why couldn't he remember? He didn't even know where he was. He stopped spinning, causing Dot to look at him in worry. He looked at his surroundings again, trying desperately to figure out where he was. Nothing about this place looked familiar, yet he still felt like he knew the place. It felt like he had been there before, but when? The answers were locked away in his head and didn't seem to want to come out. Yugi groaned in frustration and grabbed his head, trying to force the memories to come to the surface, but no matter how hard he tried, he still ended up with nothing.

"Yugi are you ok?" came the worried voice of Dot, penetrating through the boy's clouded mind. She looked worriedly at her new friend, and when he didn't answer she tugged on his jacket, catching his attention.

"I'm fine, really. I'm just trying to figure out how I got here. I can't remember a thing."

"Nothing?"

"Well…I can remember a building, and a room. There was a person there, but…I can't remember who he is. I can't remember."

"Well, you know what they say, if you stop thinking of something, it will come back to you," said Dot as she touched Yugi's arm. "So for now, forget about it. Just come play with me."

Yugi silently agreed, and with a smile rejoined the girl in her dance across the waters, whatever memories he had disappearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Yami sat by a window in a dark room, just staring out at the dark sky, wondering why his life was so hard. With a sad, heart-wrenching sigh, he turned his gaze to a bed in the corner of the room. Weary crimson eyes scanned the person lying on the bed, hoping to catch even the tiniest movement.

When he saw that nothing had changed, he turned back to looking outside. He closed his eyes, and silently prayed to Ra that his aibou would wake up. He looked at his watch, sadly realizing that it had been two and a half hours since he had found Yugi lying in the middle of the lake. The ice had broken from under him and he had fallen in. His lower body from his waist down had been submerged under the water, and his skin was pale and blue. The boy had been shivering, though he was unconscious.

-------------flashback---------------

Yami almost died of fright when he ran up to Yugi. He thought for sure that he had lost his hikari forever. He was so scared that he had failed to protect the one he cared for most. The spirit didn't know how long he had been lying in the ice, but by the looks of it, it had been too long. When he had gotten to him, he carefully lifted the boy from the icy prison. Even though he was getting wet, Yami wasn't thinking of that at that time. All he was thinking was of getting his aibou safe.

"Yugi! Yugi wake up! Yugi please!"

Yugi didn't move a muscle, he didn't even bat an eyelash when the Pharaoh called him. Yami even tried to call him through their mind link, but Yugi was still unresponsive. If it wasn't for Yugi's shivering, it would have seemed like the boy had died. But that was NOT going to happen. Yami would not let his aibou leave him, never.

"Yugi, please don't do this to me. I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault. Please just wake up, please," Yami begged to the small hikari. But Yugi never responded. Yami's cheeks were wet with tears by now, not bothering to stem the flow. It was all his fault, so why did Yugi have to pay the price?

Yami lifted Yugi into his arms, and stood up, running back to the hotel, trying to get him help as fast as he could. With every step he took he was reminded of everything that he had done to his aibou. With each breath, he was reminded of how he betrayed his aibou. Each time Yugi shivered in his arms, he was reminded of how he failed his aibou.

Suddenly he heard a loud noise coming up from his left. He turned and saw Kyoji speeding in his direction. He was never happier to see the other boy. Without a word, he got on the snowmobile and held onto both Kyoji and Yugi, as the brunette headed off towards the hotel.

When they finally reached the hotel, Yugi was immediately taken into an ambulance and rushed off to the hospital, with Yami by his side all the way. He would never leave his Yugi. They would never be able to separate him again.

Yugi was taken into the E.R., and Yami paced frantically in the waiting room. Finally after forty excruciating minutes, the doctor came out. Yami and Kyoji, who had come a few minutes before, ambushed the doctor with questions.

The doctor told them that Yugi was very lucky to have been found when he was, or else he wouldn't have survived. At those words, the knot in Yami's stomach tightened. He was expecting the worst, though he didn't want to hear it. He wanted to hear that Yugi was perfectly fine and that he was just sleeping peacefully. But that's not what he was told. He was told that Yugi was unconscious, and his heart beat was unstable. The doctors feared that Yugi might slip into a coma that he wouldn't be able to wake up from, or worse, that his heart beat would slow down till it stopped for good.

Yami practically collapsed on the spot. Yugi might die? His precious hikari, the one he loved more than anything in the world, might leave him forever? No, it just wasn't possible. It wasn't possible! But more importantly, it wasn't FAIR! Why did he have to go through all this pain? Why were fate and the gods against him? What had he done to them to make them be so cruel to him? He was abandoned, and he didn't know what to do.

It took all of his strength to ask the doctor if he could stay with Yugi, and when he agreed, the spirit raced down to Yugi's room. When he entered the dark room, his breath caught in his throat and refused to come out.

Lying on a large bed, wrapped in a white sheet was his Yugi. The boy's pale skin blending in with his sheets. Yugi was surrounded by wires, and tubes, and machines, all trying to keep the boy alive. He even had a breathing mask on his face, trying to stabilize his shallow breathing. Yami heard the sound of the heart monitor, and looked over, viewing his hikari's heart beat. It was slow, dangerously slow, and could stop completely at any moment.

Yami stumbled over to Yugi's bed and collapsed on the side. He took Yugi's hand in his and felt the cold radiating from the body. He rubbed the hand, trying to get it back to the soft, warm way it always was. His eyes stared at the IV tube going into the hand, and felt even worse for putting Yugi in that position. The crimson eyes traveled up to the smaller boy's face, and was shocked at how white it looked. His lips were a light blue, the only color on his innocent face. His eyes didn't even flutter as he lay there, and Yami noted that he looked so peaceful, like the angel he was. But it was a dying angel that lay before him, one who had been lost because of the stupidity of his so called 'protector'.

The said protector squeezed the hand he was still holding, hoping that he would get a squeeze back, but when none came, he realized that Yugi wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. It was impossible. He had been in that water for too long and it had taken it's toll on his small body.

"Yugi, remember when you once promised that you wouldn't leave me?" Yami whispered to the unconscious body. "Remember how you said that no matter what happened, you would always stay by my side? You told me that…even if the world was destroyed by Marik or Dartz or whoever, that you would be there with me. Because of you, I was able to defeat them. You gave me the strength I needed to save the world. Please don't break your promise. Not now when I need you the most. I would gladly give up the world to keep you safe. Please Yugi, I need you."

But Yugi never responded. He just lay there in the cold hospital room, trapped within his mind, leaving the one who loved him to grieve over his loss alone.

--------------end flashback---------------

Yami sighed again as he looked over to his hikari, hoping to see if something had changed, but much to the disappointment of the spirit, nothing had changed in the boy. He was still lying on the hospital bed, unresponsive to the world around him. The tired teen walked slowly over to the edge of the bed and sat down next to the boy. He gently caressed Yugi's pale cheek, brushing strands of hair out of his eyes. Yami thought he saw some color in Yugi's cheeks, but he refused to get his hopes up. The last thing he wanted was for him to think Yugi was going to wake up, and then……

"Yugi, wake up. I'm not giving up on you, so please wake up. You have to wake up. Please don't leave me."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi was having the time of his life. As he played with Dot on the ice, he forgot his troubles and his missing memory. As the minutes flew past, he forgot where he came from, how he got there, and why he was there. All his memories were disappearing, and Yugi didn't care. He didn't mind that he couldn't remember anything of his past. All he could remember were details about himself, but nothing of his friends, his family, or his life in general. And he didn't care.

"Ok, I'm am way past tired," Yugi said with a laugh as he sat down on the ice. Dot laughed and plopped down next to the boy, and launched herself into his arms, surprising him greatly.

"Yugi, you're a great friend!" she said as she hugged him tighter. Yugi smiled down at the little blonde girl as he hugged her back. The girl was really growing on him. She was like his little sister…if he even had a sister. Did he even have a brother? What about his parents? Were they together? Were they nice? Were they even still alive?! So many questions buzzed through his head, causing the boy to groan in frustration. Why couldn't he remember? Was he not supposed to?

"Yugi-chan? Are you ok?" asked Dot as she tugged gently at his hand.

"Yea, but I'm just so mad that I can't figure out my past. I don't know why! Nothing happened to me, I'm sure, so there is no reason for me not to remember who I was."

"You poor thing," said Dot comfortingly. "It must be so hard for you. Don't think about it too much or you'll make yourself sick," she advised as she placed her hand on Yugi's forehead, as if checking his temperature. But instead of feeling better, the amethyst eyed boy felt strangely weaker, almost like he was being drained of his life source. But taking the blonde girl's advice he forced himself to forget about his past for now.

Dot smiled at him as she stood up. She turned around and looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling above her. A sly smile crept up her face, as if she knew something. But when she turned around and faced Yugi again, her innocent, happy smile was back, with all traces of the previous suspicious smile on her face. "This night is really fun, don't you think so?"

"Yea it is. It's really beautiful out tonight too," Yugi said as he took in his surroundings. The night seemed to have gotten darker and lighter at the same time, the lack of light from the sun replaced by the pale brilliancy of the stars and moon that now floated across the velvety blue sky. The tree tops were covered in blankets of snow, with a glimpse of their green leaves peaking out every now and then. They lake they were on was a dark sapphire, sparkling like diamonds every time the moon shone onto its surface. There was no sound except for the wind blowing through the trees, making it seem as if the forest was singing to them. It was a magical, amazing time that was so perfect, Yugi didn't want to disturb it.

"It really is. I don't think I want to leave," said Dot, looking at Yugi from the corner of her brown eyes.

"Yea, it would be great to stay out here forever and not have to deal with all this crap," Yugi replied as he closed his eyes and let the wind caress his cheeks.

"Maybe we should."

"Should what?"

"Stay here forever."

"…you're joking……right?"

"Why not? You said so yourself, it would be great to stay out here. It's perfect here. Why would you want to go back to a confusing, scary world when you could always be at peace here?" said Dot as she looked Yugi in the eyes, a serious and…mysterious look in her bright chocolate eyes.

"I…I don't know, Dot. Wouldn't your parents worry?"

"Would you rather go out into the world not knowing who you are or where you came from? Would you want to go through life knowing that you once had friends, but now you lost them forever cause you can't remember who they were? Do you want to go through that?"

"No…no I don't, but I have no choice. I need to find out who I am. I have to find out what happened to me, and everything of my past. If I don't then…then I won't exist," Yugi answered her quietly, lowering his head to the ground to avoid looking at anything. If only he could remember, but he was starting to doubt he'd ever regain his lost memories.

"Oh Yugi, it hurts me to see you in so much pain," Dot said sincerely, but if Yugi had listened closely, he would have detected a trace of something else in her words.

"What…what did you say?" he asked, thoroughly stunned. He had heard those words before…but where? And who said them? He lifted his gaze to find her looking at him with the most worry and concern he had ever seen in his life.

"I said I don't like it when you are sad. You're my friend and I want you to be happy."

"Happy…happy…I want to be happy. But every time I think of my missing past I become unhappy."

"Then don't think about it. Just forget all of it and stay here with me forever," Dot said as she held out her hand, and lifted Yugi off of the ground.

"Stay here forever? ………maybe I will."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Yami kept staring at the heart monitor, willing the beeps to speed up. If they got faster, that meant that Yugi was getting better, and if he got better he would wake up. But no matter how hard he willed it, the beeping never got any faster. In fact, Yami thought that the beeping got slower, if only a little bit. That thought scared him and he quickly forced it out of his head.

Yami sighed quietly and closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to get rid of the weariness that surrounded him. He had been watching over Yugi now for three and a half hours and still Yugi didn't wake up. The spirit didn't want to believe the doctors when they said that Yugi might not wake up for a while, maybe never. He refused to believe it, but with each passing second, that 'might' was quickly becoming more and more possible. Yami kept telling himself that Yugi was just unconscious or just so drained that he was sleeping deeply, but in the back of his mind there lurked the thought that he would never open his eyes to the light again.

Faintly he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door, but he didn't acknowledge their presence. He heard someone calling him, but never once did he turn his attention away from the angel lying on the bed. Yami heard someone enter the room, but even then he never removed his eyes from the boy lying before him. It wasn't until he heard the person speak again did he realize who had entered.

"How's he doing?"

"Not so good. He won't wake up, and…and I think he's getting weaker," Yami replied, noting from the corner of his eye a flash of brown hair as the new member of the room sat in a chair next to the bed. The spirit shifted from his position on the bed so that the other could get a better look at Yugi. But still he never let his gaze wander from the hikari that was next to him.

"Don't say that. Before you know it he'll be back to normal."

"How do you know? What if he really is getting weaker? What if he really does…leave forever. I can't handle that again. I promised him I would protect him forever, and then I am stupid enough to let this happen," Yami said, gripping the sheets tightly.

"Don't blame yourself. It was an accident," Kyoji said as he placed a hand on Yami's shoulder.

"No, I did this. I pushed him away, I hurt him again, and this is my punishment. But…why…why him. It should have been me! ::Star: sound familiar anyone?:: Yugi should never have gotten hurt because of my stupidity."

"Yami, it was an accident. You can't blame yourself for that."

"No. The gods have punished me by taking away the most important thing in the world to me."

"Yami, is it true what you said before? Do you love him?" Kyoji asked quietly.

"……Yea. I do. I guess I always have, just I never realized it till recently."

Kyoji said nothing, but watched as Yami took Yugi's lifeless hand in his own and hold it tightly.

"Everything I've gone through with Yugi, all the good times and the bad, it was great. No matter what happened, I could always get through it because I had Yugi with me. The times…the times that I lost him, it felt like the world had ended. I can't go on without him, it's impossible for me to live without him by my side."

"Yami, how did the two of you meet? You aren't brothers, yet the two of you look so alike."

"You'd never believe me even if I spent hours telling you."

"Try me."

"……Yugi…he saved me. He saved me from an eternity of pain and suffering. He showed me the light for the first time in forever. He gave me a new life, one where I didn't have to worry about anything happening to me, because I knew he wouldn't let it. He protected me as much as I protected him."

"How did he save you?"

"He…freed me from the darkness. He saved me from the evil shadows that threatened to keep me locked away forever. And since that day he's never let them get me."

"How long have you known each other?"

"He started saving me eight years ago and didn't know it. It wasn't until last year that he found me. It was then that he banished the shadows. I didn't know anything about myself, all my years trapped had removed everything of who I once was, but it didn't matter. I was free. I had a new beginning, and it was all thanks to Yugi. From that moment on, I vowed to never let harm reach him. But look at how well I've kept my promise. I've betrayed him so many times before, I hurt him and drove him away. I just don't know why he hasn't sent me back to the shadows yet."

"He wouldn't do that. Yugi told me how much he cares about you. The way he talked about you, it sounds like he holds you as a very close friend. I don't think Yugi is the type to send someone into harms way just because of something like that."

"No he wouldn't. He is too kind, the exact opposite of me. He would rather put himself in danger than see his friends get hurt. And he's done it before too. He's sacrificed himself to save me many times before, and he would still continue to do it, even after everything that's happened," Yami replied with a grim smile.

The two boys sat in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the unsteady beeps of the heart monitor, each lost in their own thoughts about the smaller boy on the bed in front of them. Each cared for Yugi greatly, and each feared to loose him.

Yami was plagued with guilt. After everything that had happened, you'd think that he'd take better care of his precious aibou, but no, he was the biggest idiot in the world. He didn't deserve to be called Pharaoh, he didn't deserve to be the boy's yami, he didn't deserve to have ever met Yugi. So many times, Yugi had given up his soul to keep Yami safe and still Yami kept screwing up. Yet Yugi never cared. He would sacrifice himself over and over again, each time reassuring Yami that everything would be ok, each time leaving Yami with a smile. How could he do that? How could Yugi still care for him, still welcome him with open arms, when others would have abandoned him long ago.

Kyoji just watched the younger boy, and noted each emotion that crossed his face. He couldn't imagine the pain that the boy must have been going through, having lost the one person in the world that meant everything to him. He turned his silver eyes to Yugi, his frown getting deeper when he took in his complexion. Kyoji sighed sadly and stood up. He just couldn't bare to see Yugi like this. But more, he felt that Yami should be with Yugi now. With a small goodbye, he left the spirit alone with Yugi once again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yugi?"

"Yea?"

"Would you really do it? Would you really stay here with me?"

"Here? Forever?"

"Yes."

"I…don't know. I want to know who I am. I want to go out and find my past, but I'm afraid. What if I don't like who I was?"

"Then don't go out. Stay here. I don't care who you were, you are my friend and a great person. Please stay with me."

Yugi sighed and gazed up at the sky. He lay on the lake, his arms resting behind his head as he thought about the offer the younger girl was giving him. He could stay there and forget everything of his past. He could start a new life, and not worry about anything. Did he really need to know his past to go on to the future? If Yami could do it, why couldn't he?

Yugi suddenly sat up in shock. Yami? Who was he? Why did that name come to him? How did he know that name? Was he someone close to him? Yugi tried to remember more about this Yami person, but came up with nothing. But it was a start. He had remembered something, and that gave him hope that his missing memories were returning.

"Yugi? What happened?"

"I remembered something," Yugi said happily.

"You did?" Dot asked, her eyes widening. Was he going to remember everything?

"Yea! I remembered the name of someone. I don't know who they are yet, but it's a start!"

"I'm glad, Yugi," the blonde girl said with a smile. "Can you remember anything else?"

"No," Yugi said, his happy demeanor slightly faltering. "But I'm sure it'll come to me soon," he said, growing happy again.

"I hope so too," Dot said.

Yugi lay back on the ice, and tried to think back to anything that had to do with Yami. Was he Yugi's brother? A friend? How did they meet? What did he look like? So many new questions, but he was not giving up. He was going to find all the answers no matter what.

The boy closed his eyes and let his mind wander. Maybe if he did that, something would come to him. He thought about everything that had happened to him since he woke up. He remembered waking up on this lake, and finding Dot. He remembered……running…through a forest. He remembered a boy…not much older than him, holding his hand. He remembered…crimson eyes…a group of people…a boy with blonde hair…a card…with a black dragon on it. He could remember…a large stone tablet…a maze…a gold pendant…and…and…

Yugi saw these small flashes in his mind. Nothing was clear. The faces were fuzzy and he couldn't recognize anyone. These small bits and pieces came and went in a flash, providing Yugi with very little information about his past. What he could remember left him confused. He guessed that those people he saw were his friends, but he wasn't sure. The boy that was holding his hand appeared in each vision, so Yugi assumed that he was someone important. Could he be the one called Yami?

What confused him the most was the last vision. He felt drawn to the image of the golden pendant. It felt important. Instinctively, Yugi touched his chest, as if expecting the pendant to be hanging there. Was he supposed to wear it? Was it his? For some reason, thinking of the pendant made Yugi feel safe and lonely at the same time. The boy suddenly longed for the pendant, but…why? What was so important about it?

Yugi opened his eyes and looked around, half expecting to see the people from his memories standing there. All he saw was Dot, looking up at the sky. He followed her gaze, and stared at the sky for a few minutes, before letting out a sigh and sitting up. "It's so confusing."

"What is?"

"My memories. I have flashes of memories, but I can't figure out who the people are, or where I was, or anything."

"Don't strain yourself. It will come to you in time, but for now, you should stop," Dot said, placing her hand on Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi sighed, but the realized with a start he had forgotten something. A part of his memory, one of the visions had disappeared. He tried to remember what it was, but it wouldn't come to him. What happened? Why had he suddenly forgotten?

Yugi jumped up and desperately tried to retrieve the memory that was lost, but it wouldn't come back. (Ok, calm down. Just think this through. I was thinking of the memories, then I talked to Dot, then it disappeared. What happened between that time? I sat up, I talked to her, she put her hand on my shoulder…wait a sec…that was when I forgot. When she touched my shoulder I forgot the vision.)

The boy looked at the young girl sitting on the ground. She looked like a normal ten year old girl. There was nothing strange about her. He looked into her eyes and saw the worry and compassion in her light brown orbs. But…was that a trace of victory he saw? There was something odd about the way she looked at him.

In fact, he realized, when he said he remembered the name, she looked at him oddly. Also, every time she touched him in a way, he forgot more. Could she be doing something? He took a step back from the girl, causing her to look at him with confusion.

"Yugi is there something wrong? Why do you look at me like that?"

"Dot, where did you come from?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you find me? It couldn't have been a coincidence that you were here when I woke up. How did you know I'd be here?"

Dot smiled at him innocently and stood up. "I don't know what you mean. I always come here."

"Why did you say you had been waiting for me for a long time? Did you know I'd be here?"

"Yugi, you're just tired. Come with me, and you can rest," the girl said as she reached a hand out towards Yugi. But Yugi stepped away from her, suddenly fearing her touch. Each time she had touched him before, he felt something leave him. He felt weaker, like he was being drained of energy or his life. This was definitely not a normal girl. "Who are you, really?"

"I'm Dot," the girl said with another smile, but something in her smile creeped Yugi out. Something was wrong here, and it had to do with her.

"Who are you!"

Dot laughed suddenly, as if something was funny. "You are a smart one Yugi. I thought I had you fooled, but you caught me. I should have expected that of you."

"You're not a girl are you?" Yugi asked in a whisper, not really wanting to know the answer.

"No. My name should have given me away, but it seems you don't know your German very well. My name backwards it Tod. Tod is German for death. You see Yugi, that is what I am. I am death, and I've come for you."

Yugi was frozen in place. Death?! What did she mean? She couldn't be serious! He couldn't…..he couldn't be dieing! Could he? Was that why he couldn't remember anything? Was that why he was out here, in this cold, empty forest? Was he about to die?

"Don't be afraid Yugi. Death is not scary. In fact, it's a relief from all the pain and suffering of living."

"But…why? Why are you here? What happened to me?!" Yugi asked frantically.

"You fell into a lake. You almost froze and are now very sick."

A lake! So that was why he woke up here. It was the place where he had his accident. It was the reason he was going to die.

"I don't want to! I don't want to die! Don't take me!"

"Yugi, you can't live on. You are too sick. It is your time. You can stay with me here. I promise, you'll be happy."

"No! I don't want to stay here! I want to be with my friends and my family! I can't die!" Yugi pleaded, the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yugi, I'm sorry," the girl said, true sadness in her words. "You are very sick. If I didn't take you, you might never recover. You could spend the rest of your life in a coma."

"I don't care! I…I just want to be with them…with the others."

"Yugi, you can't. I'm sorry. Stay here with me. We can be friends forever. You have nothing else to live for."

"That's not true. That can't be true," Yugi whispered, as he collapsed on the ground.

"It is. Stay here with me. You'll always be happy, I promise. You'll never be alone. You will stay, right?" Death asked as she held a hand out to the now crying boy.

Yugi said nothing, but let the tears flow as he reached out his own hand to grasp hers. Reaching out for his end.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Yami frantically paced the hallway outside Yugi's room, glancing every now and then at the white door. A couple of minutes ago, some doctors and nurses had come in to check up on Yugi, and Yami had had to leave. The spirit didn't want to leave his hikari's side, but knew it was for the best.

Yami checked his watch for the tenth time in three minutes, watching the seconds pass by excruciatingly slow. Why were they taking so long? They should have come out by now. What were they dong?!

Yami turned when he heard the door being opened, and rushed up to the doctor that had come out. Yami grew apprehensive when he noticed the look on the man's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"His condition is…not improving."

Yami felt like he had just gotten punched. His aibou wasn't healing?

"W-why?" Yami choked out.

"We don't know. In a case like his, it depends on the amount of time he was lying in the water."

"Will he get better?"

The doctor didn't answer. He just looked at Yami with sad eyes, causing the spirit more worry.

"Well?!"

"His heart rate has dropped. Chances are…he won't survive the night."

Yami had to lean against the wall for support, but he was so taken back by the news that he collapsed on the ground. He hadn't just heard that. No, he must have imagined it! That must have been it. He was so worried he had just imagined the doctor saying those words. But when the Pharaoh looked up at the doctor, he knew the truth. Yugi was really dieing.

"Are…are you sure?" the crimson eyed boy said in a shaky voice.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but there is nothing more we can do for him. The best is to let his last hours be peaceful. Do you want us to remove the life support system?"

Yami barely heard what the man asked, but looked up at him in confusion. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"The tubes, and the respirator. We have already removed the breathing mask. We can remove the rest if you'd like."

"N…no. Please don't."

The man just nodded. "Would you like to contact the rest of his family, or should I?"

"No. Don't tell them. I will tell them…after. Can I go in?" Yami asked in a broken voice. What reason was there for him to have any emotion? His aibou was going to die. He was going to die and it was all Yami's fault.

"Yes. We will be back shortly to check on him. Please call if anything happens."

Yami just nodded and got off the floor. He started for the door when he was stopped by the doctor.

"I'm very sorry for this. I wish there was something we could do."

Yami shook his head. "Thank you for everything you have done."

The doctor nodded his head and walked off. Yami then walked in, closed the door, and slowly walked towards the bed. He stood at the bedside for a few minutes, just looking at his aibou. He gently caressed Yugi's cheek, and suddenly collapsed on the bed.

"Why!? Yugi, please don't do this to me! Don't leave me! Why did this have to happen!? Please Yugi! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR! Yugi!"

The broken spirit cried over his hikari for a long time, till he was reduced to a trembling mass. He held him tightly, not wanting to ever let him go. He wouldn't ever give him up. He wouldn't let death get him. He wouldn't, because he couldn't survive without his light.

"Yugi please. Wake up. Just wake up, and call me a fool for worrying over you. Open your eyes and tell me that everything will be ok. Please don't leave me. I have nothing to live for if you leave. Yugi, I love you too much to let you go."

Yami lay there, holding onto his love as the tears continued to fall. He knew it was pointless. Yugi was going to die, and no amount of begging and pleading, no amount of praying or shadow magic would bring him back. The sorrowful Pharaoh placed a gentle kiss on the pale lips of his aibou. "I love you Yugi, and no matter what, I will be with you." Then Yami closed his eyes, planning to spend Yugi's last moments, their last moments, in peace.

(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)

Yami continued to walk across the frozen lake, ignoring everything around him, focusing only on the voice that was calling him. With each step the crimson eyed spirit took, the urge to reach the voice got stronger. So he kept following it, knowing it could be a trap, knowing it could lead to his doom, but he didn't care.

The spirit stopped in his tracks and looked around. He had walked so far that he could barely see the edge of the lake anymore, and it still continued to go on. It seemed as if he could walk forever and still never reach the end. But it wasn't as if he had anything else to do in his life. Yami held the puzzle in his hands as he sat down on the ice.

"What am I doing? Why am I bothering to go after this voice?" he asked himself quietly. He looked down at the puzzle, half hoping it would give him an answer. When all he got was silence, he looked back up at the sky. Maybe he would receive a sign from above. Maybe he would be shown that he wasn't alone. He highly doubted it, but he had nothing left to loose.

All of a sudden, he felt a harsh tug, as if someone was yanking him forwards. The pull was so strong, he actually fell forwards. He jumped up and looked around. What was that?! How the hell did that happen? The voice came back stronger this time, telling him to keep walking. Yami was confused, and decided maybe he should go back. But when he took a step backwards, the voice practically screamed at him.

"What is the reason that I should be here? Why must I be here?" Yami asked, hoping that someone would answer him, but when he didn't get one, he decided to just go on. Why was he questioning this…voice? It was just a bodiless entity, there was nothing to question.

So Yami walked on, and soon he started to get a familiar feeling. It was one that he had when he was near his aibou. But how? Was his aibou really near by? Or was the voice playing tricks on him? It better not have been, cause if he ever found who was behind it, they wouldn't survive their meeting.

Gradually, as he was walking he saw something ahead of him. He didn't know what it was, from his distance it was too hard to make out, but the voice seemed to want him to go there. So he went. As he got closer, the feeling got stronger, and in effect, Yami got more confused. Why was he feeling like that? Was it really his aibou ahead of him? Yami's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't speed up, incase it was just a mirage.

----------------

The tears were rolling down Yugi's face as he reached out his hand to grasp the girl's. He didn't want to, but it seemed as if he had no choice. As much as he hated it, it was his time to go. Nothing could change that. But that fact couldn't take away his fear. He had never felt this afraid before. Even with his memories gone, he still knew that he had never felt that way.

His hand faltered just before he grabbed her hand. Was he ready to do this? No, but…did he really want to stay in a world where he would suffer? Did he want to go through with that every day of his life? No. But he didn't want to die. He was afraid. He didn't want to be alone.

"Yugi? What's wrong? You can't be having second thoughts, are you?" Death asked as she stepped closer to him.

"I'm afraid," Yugi replied quietly.

"Don't be afraid. I will be here with you," she answered.

"I…I don't want to. Why can't I go back to my life?" he asked, the tears continuing to roll down his cheeks.

Death sighed sadly before answering, "It's not possible. It would be too hard. There is nothing for you in the world."

"I…I just…" was all Yugi could get out, as the tears increased.

"Yugi, I promise I will be with you. I will stay and play with you forever. You won't ever be alone."

"It's not the same," the amethyst eyed teen answered.

Death sighed again as she looked at the boy. She didn't think that this would be so hard or so heartbreaking. She had been around since the beginning of time, but never did she have a job like this. She herself was beginning to have second thoughts on taking this young boy's life. But she knew she couldn't. It wasn't her place to change his fate.

"Come on Yugi," she said soothingly. "You'll be in a better place soon." Again she reached out her hand to him.

Yugi didn't say anything, but stared at the hand. He knew it was pointless to fight. He didn't want to be sad anymore. He made a small wish that all his loved ones would be ok when he was gone, and reached again for her hand.

------------------

Yami stopped in his tracks and stared ahead. It couldn't be possible, but there it was in front of him. There was his aibou…and some strange girl, but that didn't matter. It was his aibou! Yugi was right there…and Yami was too shocked to move. He didn't think it was possible. He thought he'd never see Yugi again, but there he was.

Yami slowly walked up to the two in front of him, wondering what was going on. When he noticed the tears upon Yugi's face, and the sad look the girl was giving him, the spirit became confused. Why was Yugi crying? Who was the girl? And where was the mysterious man from before?

He saw the two talk to each other, but couldn't catch their words, as he was still too far away. But from the looks of it, it wasn't a happy conversation. Yami wanted to get to the bottom of it, so he kept walking.

-----------------

Yugi got a strange feeling, and just before he grabbed Death's hand, he turned and looked to his side. His violet eyes widened as he saw a boy who looked just like him approaching them. Where had he come from?!

Death had also noticed Yami's appearance, and was confused. How had he come here? Others were not allowed in the area. How had this soul entered? She knew who he was, having taken his soul five thousand years ago, and she knew his connection to Yugi. But what she didn't know was his reason for entering.

Yugi watched as the look-a-like walked towards them slowly. Who was this new person? Was he a part of Death? Was this another form of hers? No…he felt too familiar to be death. Yugi knew he knew him, but he couldn't remember anything about the boy.

"Yugi?" the boy whispered.

Yugi's eyes widened more. The boy knew his name, which meant that he knew who he was.

"Who…who are you?" Yugi whispered back.

--------------

Yami was taken aback. Had Yugi actually said that? Didn't he know who he was?

"You don't remember me?"

"I…can't remember anything," his aibou replied.

Yami was even more surprised, but didn't let it show as he walked up to Yugi. He knelt down in front of the boy, but still far enough away.

"Why?"

"I don't know. What is your name?"

"My name is Yami."

--------------

Yugi's mind raced. This was Yami? This was the boy who was in each of his memory flashes?

"Y…Yami?"

The other boy nodded his head. So this was the boy he had been trying to remember. He felt so relieved. But why was he here? Had he come because he was going to die?

"Aibou?" he heard the other say.

"Aibou…I've been called that before."

"You are my aibou, and have always been."

"You are…Yami…my yami," Yugi said, half knowing the meaning behind the names aibou and yami.

"Little One, why are you crying?"

Yugi was suddenly reminded of what was about to happen. He lowered his head as the tears flowed more heavily. "I'm about to die."

----------------

Yami felt his heart stop in his chest. Had he heard correctly? There must have been a mistake. "W…what did you say?"

"I'm about to die."

"W…why?" the spirit asked.

"Because it is his time," he heard another voice say. He turned and looked at the young girl. He had forgotten she was there.

"Who are you?" Yami asked.

"I am Death. I have come to take Yugi to his final home."

"No! Why? He's too young!"

"It is his time to go. You know what happened. You saw him, and you have been told what will happen."

"No! I won't let you take him!" Yami said as he leaped forwards and grabbed Yugi, holding him close.

------------------

Yugi was extremely surprised when the other boy grabbed him and held him. Why had he done that? He didn't want to let him die? He felt the boy tighten his hold around him, trying to keep death from reaching him.

"Why do you fight this? You have heard what they said. You know this must happen," he heard Death say.

"No! I won't let Yugi die! I swore I'd keep him safe, and there is no way I'm going to let you take my hikari!"

"It is not your choice. This is his fate, and you, despite how powerful you are in the world, have no way to change it."

"I don't care! I'm not letting Yugi go!"

This boy, Yami, wanted to keep him. He didn't want him to die. He was fighting to keep him alive. Could it be that he really did have a reason to live?

--------------------

((I'm never giving him up! Nothing can separate him from me! I won't fail him this time. I'll protect my hikari with everything I have.))

/Yugi, you can't go with her!/

Yami felt shock radiating through their weak link. /You…you talked to me…in my head./

/Yes, because we have a special bond. A bond that I don't plan on letting anything, not even death, break./

/Why do you do this?/

/Because you are my aibou, my hikari, my precious light. You are the single most important person in the world to me, and I will not give you up without a fight./

/You…care for me this much?/

/Yes, more than you know./

----------------

Yugi felt tears well up in his eyes again, but these weren't tears of fear or sadness. These were tears of joy. He did have a reason to live.

/You want me with you?/

/Yes. I cannot go on without you, and if you die, I'll be right there with you./

Yugi hugged Yami as hard as he could. He didn't want to die. He wanted to go with Yami. He didn't care if he couldn't remember his past. He didn't care what would happen to him, as long as he was with Yami.

"I want to stay with you," he said as he held on to the boy.

"Yugi you can't," Death said.

"I don't care! I want to stay with Yami!"

"It's not possible," she said.

Yugi buried his head in Yami's chest, trying not to listen to Death. He couldn't leave Yami. He just had to stay with him.

/Yami/

/Yes, hikari?/

/Don't let her take me./

-----------------

/Never/

Yami meant it too. He would never let anyone take his aibou ever again. He would fight off Ra if he had to. He sat there, holding on to his hikari, trying to keep death from him. He refused to let Death take him. He didn't care if it was his fate or if it was destiny. If it meant giving up Yugi's life, he wouldn't do it.

"I'm not letting him go, so you can forget taking his life," he said harshly to the girl.

--------------------

Death just looked at the two boys in front of her. Neither would let go of the other, and each would follow the other no matter where they were taken. She looked down at Yugi who was holding on to the spirit tightly. "Do you really wish to stay with him?" she asked the smaller of the two.

"Yes."

"What if you never recover?"

"I don't care."

"You truly mean that?"

Yugi nodded his head.

Death just sighed and turned her back towards the two.

-----------------

Yami, cradling Yugi in his arms, stood up slowly. He watched the girl for any sudden movements she might make, and when she stayed still he turned and walked back the way he had come.

"Yugi, I will never let you go," he whispered down to the boy.

----------------

"I want to always be with you Yami," he whispered back. In reply, he got a hug from the other, the unspoken promise hanging in the air.

(0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0)

Yami slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the light streaming into the room through the crack in the curtains. Wait, light? That must mean it's morning. Yami looked at his watch and sure enough it was 7 A.M. How he had slept for nine hours was a mystery.

Yami quickly looked at his aibou, holding his breath incase he saw that the worst happened while he was asleep. But instead of seeing that, what he saw was the happiest thing he'd ever seen in his life.

Yugi was slowly opening his eyes! He was awake! A quick look at the heart monitor showed Yami that Yugi was returning to normal. Yami couldn't tear his eyes away from the wonderful sight. He felt tears well up in his eyes when the beautiful amethyst eyes of his aibou met his. His heart skipped a beat as he saw his hikari give him a small, weak smile.

"Hi Yami. What's up?"

---------------------------------------------------------------

Star: There you go! 24 pages! :glomps Ryuichi plushie: We worked hard, didn't we Ryu-chan?

Ryuichi plushie: :nods head:

Yami: O…k. At least Yugi is safe :glomps Yugi:

Star: And you people thought I'd kill him off! Shame on all of you! Anyway, review please!!!!!!!!!!!


	23. Healing Wounds

Star: Hi hi hi!!! I'm back! GUESS WHAT!!! I have over 500 reviews!!! I'm so happy!!! I really shouldn't have posted this up till Saturday, because I have exams this week, and right now I should be asleep. But who cares about a good education?! I'd rather post a new chapter up.

Yugi: Her dedication amazes me.

Yami: Yea. She's usually so lazy.

Star: -.- Shut up, or I really _will _write you off a cliff.

Yami: ::glare:: I'd like to see you try.

Star: ::glares back::

Yugi: ::sigh:: While those two act like babies, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh, so leave me THE HELL ALONE!! IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME FOR PETE'S SAKE! CAN'T YOU GIVE ME A BREAK JUST THIS ONE TIME?! I MEAN REALLY! YOU GET TO KEEP THEM 365 DAYS A YEAR! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEND THEM TO ME FOR CHRISTMAS?!!! ......... ::blush:: ::cough:: Uh….yea…..enjoy the story.

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

-----scene changes-----

(IMPORTANT NOTE AT BOTTOM!)

-----------Healing Wounds-----------

Yami's heart stopped beating when the sweet, melodic voice of his precious Yugi reached his ears. The spirit felt as if he could die happy right then and there. He gazed upon his aibou, taking in every perfect feature of the smaller boy. He had never been happier in his entire life.

"Yugi, you're…you're awake. Oh, thank Ra! You're awake!" Yami said as he pulled his light into a tight hug. He felt tears of joy flow down his face, as he pulled Yugi closer to him.

"Yami? Why are you crying?" Yugi asked as he felt the tears fall onto his neck.

"Yugi, I almost lost you last night. I thought that I'd never get to see you again."

"Last night? What happened last night?"

Yami pulled back from the hug to stare into Yugi's eyes. Could it be that his aibou didn't remember anything from last night? When he looked into the other's amethyst eyes, he found only confusion.

"You don't remember anything?"

"I remember being in Kyoji's apartment. Then I remember taking a walk, and going to the skating lake. I remember I stayed at the lodge there for hours, just dueling. I remember…when I left, I walked into the woods, and I ended up at a large lake. I walked across the lake, and then I heard a crack. But…everything after that is a blank."

"You don't know what happened to you?"

Yugi shook his head, a slight fear growing inside him. What happened to him? Yugi took a look around the room he was in, and his fear grew more when he realised he was in a hospital room, and he was hooked up to many different machines. He turned, and looked at his dark half with confusion and fear shining in his eyes. "Yami, what happened to me?" the small boy whispered.

"Aibou, you…you fell into that lake. You almost…died," Yami whispered as quietly as he could.

Yugi said nothing, but stared at his yami in shock. _What_ did he say almost happened to him?! There was no possible way! Yugi just shook his head, his eyes widening in fear. "No. You're lying. Please tell me you are lying."

Yami didn't answer, but the expression on his face was answer enough for Yugi. The boy felt tears stinging his eyes, as he took a shuddering gasp. He almost died?! How could this happen? This was supposed to be a vacation. The two boys were supposed to have fun, and not worry about anything for seven days. They were supposed to go on hikes, and have snowball fights, and take pictures. They were supposed to enjoy themselves. This was NOT supposed to happen!

Yami continued to stay silent, as he stared into Yugi's eyes. He could feel his hikari's emotions, and it only made the Pharaoh sadder. He could feel his own tears pushing to get up, but he couldn't cry. He had to be strong for Yugi. He watched as a tear made it's way down Yugi's pale cheek, and the spirit gently wiped it away with his thumb. /Yugi, please don't cry./

"What do you expect me to do?! I just found out I almost died! Do you think that I'm happy with that news? Yami, I'm scared. I'm so scared now," Yugi said, as the tears started flowing heavily.

Yami pulled him into another tight hug, while whispering comforting words to his hikari. It was all he could do right now. He tried so hard to keep his own tears from falling, but with Yugi crying loudly in his arms, it was becoming harder and harder to keep them from escaping. Soon he gave up, and let them fall freely, as he tightened his hold on his hikari.

The two boys sat there, holding on to each other as they cried together. After a while, they calmed down slightly. Yugi was trembling, and would sob occasionally, while Yami just sat there, gently stroking Yugi's hair. The smaller of the two buried his head in Yami's chest, as if he was trying to escape the cruel world.

/Yami, I'm so scared./

/Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you. No one will ever harm you./

"Yami, why did this happen?"

"I don't know, Aibou. Why were you in the middle of the forest anyway?"

"I don't know why. It felt like something was calling me there, and I had to go."

"Yugi, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because……I don't know."

"Why not? You should have told me! Do you know how worried I was?!" Yami said as he jumped up from the bed, and glared at his light.

"I…I didn't…think…"

"Didn't think what?! Didn't think I would care! Didn't think I would be scared out of my mind? Do you know how worried I was?! Not telling me was completely irresponsible!"

"Don't tell me I'm irresponsible!"

"You were irresponsible! You went off by yourself, you didn't tell anyone where you were, and you didn't call for help! You act like such a child sometimes!"

"Shut up! You aren't one to talk!"

"**_I _**wouldn't have gone after some strange voice. Look what happened to you because of your little adventure!"

"It's all your fault! If you hadn't acted like such an ass yesterday, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Don't try to blame it all on me!"

"You started it!"

"You are childish, irresponsible, spoiled-"

"Enough! Just shut up!"

"When will you learn, Yugi?! When?! When it's too late? What if I hadn't gotten to you on time?! What if someone else found you?! Then what would you do? "

"Leave me alone!"

"You are careless! And you know it!"

"……You're right," Yugi whispered, as he lowered his head. "I am just a stupid, little child. It was so stupid of me for going off. You are completely right. I'm nothing but an idiot. I'm sorry." The boy felt new tears flow from his eyes, leaving hot trails in their wake.

The boy continued to cry as two arms wrapped around him, and drew him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, aibou. I didn't mean to yell. I was just so worried last night."

Yugi placed his head on Yami's shoulder, and buried his face in Yami's neck. "No. You had every right to yell at me. I'm just a stupid kid."

"No you aren't! You are smart, brave, and perfect. I was the stupid one. I shouldn't have gotten mad yesterday."

Yugi just shook his head in disagreement, as he slowly closed his eyes. Yami, sensing his hikari's fatigue, gently placed the smaller boy back down on the bed. Just as he was about to leave, a small hand grabbed his, and pulled him back down. The spirit looked at Yugi, and saw the fear and loneliness in his eyes. "Don't leave me," the boy whispered.

Yami bent down, and placed a tender kiss on his double's forehead, before sitting back down on the bed beside Yugi. "I'll be right here. For now, just go to sleep."

"Y-you promise?" Yugi asked, his voice cracking slightly from fear.

"I swear it. I'll be here when you wake up. So close your eyes, Little One."

Yugi nodded, and shut his tired violet eyes. Yami gently stroked his cheek, frowning at the fact that it was still extremely pale. It was also slightly damp, from tears and sweat. The Pharaoh pulled the covers up so that Yugi was completely covered. Now that the spirit had his hikari back, he was going to do everything possible so that his tenshi would recover quickly.

Yami sighed, and looked out the window. He still couldn't believe that he had almost lost his aibou. It seemed like just a bad dream, but just a few hours ago, Yugi was about to die, and the crimson eyed spirit couldn't do anything to help. ((This time, I'm going to protect him even more. I'm never going to let anything like this happen ever again.))

The ancient Pharaoh turned his gaze back to the small boy on the bed. He smiled when he saw the peaceful expression on his Yugi's face that had replaced the fear. Yugi really did look like an angel, lying there as he was. Yami continued to caress his cheek, smiling even more as Yugi lightly nuzzled his hand. Yami moved some bangs out of his aibou's eyes, wishing he could gaze deeply into the beautiful violet orbs of the tenshi. But he knew the only way for his light to recover was if he got enough rest.

Yami said a prayer of thanks to the gods for bringing his aibou back to him. He had never been more afraid, or felt more useless. He truly thought he was going to loose Yugi forever. Yami had to choke back a sob as he thought back to the last few hours, and how small and frail Yugi had looked, surrounded by all the machines. Yami cursed himself for the millionth time for putting Yugi there. If he hadn't yelled at him, the two of them could have been up in their suite sleeping, or enjoying each others company. But because of Yami's stupid jealousy, Yugi was lying in the hospital, weakened and sick. What if he had a relapse?! What if this time Yugi didn't wake up, or what if he…what if he really did die this time? Thinking of that made Yami shake with fear.

Yami was brought out of his thoughts when Yugi turned on his side, and cuddled into Yami's body. The younger teen grabbed his dark's arm and held it to his chest, pretending it was a teddy bear. Yami chuckled lightly, his heart melting at the precious sight his Yugi made. The spirit suddenly felt weariness wash over him, as the stress from the past hours finally caught up. ((I should get a little more sleep,)) he thought, as he lay down next to Yugi. The older teen pulled Yugi up to him, so that he could hold the other teenager while they slept. Yugi quickly cuddled into the warmth of the others body. This simple act made Yami forget all of his previous thoughts. Yami would make sure that he never lost his aibou ever again.

Around nine, Yami woke up to the sound of voices outside the door. One he recognised as the doctor's, and he assumed the other was from a nurse. The spirit started to sit up, when he felt a weight push him back down. He looked to his chest, and smiled when he saw his aibou lying on top of him. It reminded him of two days ago, when he woke up on the couch and Yugi was sleeping on top of him. Yugi was just so kawaii.

He looked up when he heard the door open, and his ruby eyes locked with the doctor's blue. To say the doctor was surprised would be the understatement of the year. Yami smiled sheepishly as the doctor took in the situation. Here was a supposedly dying patient lying on top of his friend, sleeping as if nothing was wrong. What exactly had happened during the night?

"Excuse me, Mr. Mouto, but what exactly is going on?" asked the doctor, as he continued to stare at the two.

"Uh…well…Yugi woke up, and then he got tired, so he…fell asleep?" replied Yami, giving the doctor an innocent smile.

"He woke up? Why didn't you tell me?!"

Yami blinked in surprise, as he heard his own words thrown back at him. ((Whoa. That's weird.)) "I guess I was just so happy, that I forgot."

"This is really a miracle. Yugi wasn't supposed to live through the night, and you tell me that he was awake and talking?"

"Yes. He woke up around seven"

"We are going to have to run some tests."

"What? Why?" asked Yami, as he held Yugi in a possesive manner.

"Just to make sure everything is ok. It's procedure. But for that, you will have to leave the room."

"I can't stay?" asked Yami.

"No, I'm sorry. I will be back in a few minutes. Please wake Yugi up," the man said as he walked out.

Yami gazed down at his sleeping light. He really didn't want to wake him up, and didn't want to leave even more. But if it meant that Yugi would recover, he'd do it. He'd jump into a volcano, or fight the Winged Dragon of Ra barehanded, if it meant that Yugi would be safe.

"Yugi, you have to wake up now," the crimson eyed Pharaoh said, as he lightly shook his aibou. When Yugi didn't respond, even after three shakes, Yami started to panic. "Yugi, come on! Wake up! Don't do this to me, not now. Yugi, wake up!" Yami started to shake Yugi more roughly now, desperately trying to get the other teen to wake up.

Finally, Yugi stirred and cracked open an eye. "Y-Yami?" he asked through a yawn. Suddenly he was pulled into his dark's arms as he felt wetness on his neck.

"Yugi, don't scare me like that ever again! I thought you…just don't do that to me. I can't take anymore!" said the crying spirit.

Yugi stroked his other half's hair, while trying to comfort his yami. "It's ok Yami. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Please don't cry. I'd never leave you," he said, giving the ancient Pharaoh a bright smile.

Yami opened his mouth to reply, when a nurse walked in. Upon seeing that she had interrupted, she started to back out of the door saying, "I'm sorry. Do you need some time alone?"

Yami shook his head, as he stood up, wiping his eyes to remove the tears. "No, it's ok." He then turned to Yugi and said, "Yugi, I have to leave for a few minutes, while they run some tests on you." Seeing the scared look in his aibou's eyes, he was quick to add, "But I'll be right outside the door, so if you need me just call." /I'm not going to leave you alone here./

Yugi nodded as he watched Yami walk outside the room, being replaced by a team of nurses and doctors. "Don't worry sweetie. He'll be right outside. You'll see your boyfriend in a little while," said the nurse that had walked in earlier as she closed the door.

Yugi felt his entire face turn red, and was about to correct her, when a thermometer was placed in his mouth. (I can't believe she thinks that Yami is my boyfriend! Like that would ever happen. He doesn't love me, he loves another.)

-----------------------------------------------

Outside, Yami was pacing infront of the door. It was killing him to be away from Yugi, for even a few minutes. Last time he was told to leave the hospital room, the doctor had come out and told him his hikari was about to die. What if he says something like that this time? What if Yugi's sick forever? What if he has to stay in the hospital for the rest of his life?

Yami just couldn't handle those thoughts, so he sat down on a chair next to the door. ((Ok, calm down Yami. Get it together. Nothing is going to happen to Yugi. He woke up, which means that he is getting better.)) Yami kept trying to reassure himself that everything was going to turn out fine. But he was still dreading bad news. He tried to take his mind off of what they were doing inside, but as half an hour passed, he found it harder and harder to think of something else.

"What could be taking so long? I hope nothing is wrong." Yami returned to pacing outside the door, the spirit stopping every now and then to stare at the door. He willed the people to come out, but to no avail. Yami decided to do something to take his mind off of Yugi, before he stormed into the room. He decided to get a present for Yugi. Why a present? The spirit couldn't think of anything else to do.

Yami was reluctant to go and buy a present, incase the doctors came out. Making sure no one was around, he used shadow magic to create a Dark Magician plushie. He smiled at the stuffed figure, thinking of Mahado, and how the magician would react to seeing himself as a stuffed toy. Yami then went to sit back down on the chair, hugging the plushie tightly, and just waited.

------------------------------------------------------

Yugi was getting tired of these people prodding him, and running tests on him as if he were a lab rat. He knew they were doing this to make sure that he was fine, but it was getting aggravating. After the first ten minutes, it got boring, and now just sitting on the bed, as Doctor # 3 checked his breathing for the millionth time.

"Breathe in," she said. Yugi did.

"Breathe out," she said. Yugi did.

"Breathe in," she said again. Yugi did again, but this time it was a yawn.

"Are you tired?" Nurse # 1 asked.

"Not really, but I am bored. When can I see Yami again?"

"In a while. But we have to make sure that you are completely recovered."

"But you have been running the same tests for the past fifteen minutes! How can you still not be sure?"

"Son, you were lying in a frozen lake for who knows how long. We have to make sure that you won't get a cold, or that you will get hypothermia," said Doctor # 4 as he took Yugi's pulse.

"But I'm fine! I don't feel sick."

The doctors and nurses ignored his complaints, and continued to do tests and take notes. Yugi started to feel like a science experiment.

"Ok, now stand up."

Yugi looked at him in confusion, but climbed out of the bed. He tried to stand up, but as soon as he put weight on his legs, he collapsed on the ground. He was quickly picked up by Nurses # 2 and 3, and was placed back on the bed.

"Why can't I stand?"

"When you were in the lake, only your hips down were submerged in the water. The frozen temperature plus the amount of time you must have been lying there seems to have taken it's toll."

"Will I be able to walk again?"

"We have to run somemore tests," said Doctor # 1, who smiled when Yugi let out a groan of annoyance. "Trust me, it may seem like much, but we are doing this for your own good."

"Yea, I know, but it's so……repetitive."

The doctors and nurses chuckled at his comment, as they contunued their work. Doctor # 2 checked his leg reflexes by tapping his knee with the small hammer. He smiled when Yugi's leg kicked up as expected. The result was the same with the other.

Yugi watched him as he performed these tasks. (He's smiling. That's good, right? He wouldn't smile if it wasn't good.) Yugi watched the other doctors checking papers and the machines. He didn't understand a thing they were doing, so he let his mind wander. (I wonder where Yami is. He promised he'd be right outside. I want to see him again.) Yugi was about to call to the spirit through the link, when he was interrupted by Nurse # 1.

"Ok, sweetie. Try to stand up again. This time go slowly."

Yugi nodded, and placed his feet on the carpeted ground. He lightly placed weight on them while he still sat on the bed, to test if he could stand the pressure. Slowly he lifted himself off the bed, and started to stand. He wobbled slightly and staggered, but he finally stood up straight. The doctors smiled in approval.

"That was good, Yugi. Now try walking towards me. Go slowly," said Doctor # 3.

Yugi tried to take a step forwards, but as soon as he lifted his foot, he lost his balance, and fell back on the bed. "That's ok. Try again," she said.

Yugi got back up, and managed to take two steps, before he collapsed on the ground. He punched the ground in frustration, and let out an angered groan.

"It's ok, honey. You just need to get your strength back," said Nurse # 3 as she helped Yugi stand back up. "Try again. You can do it."

And so Yugi tried again, but he got only one step, before he collapsed back on the ground. "I can't do it!" he yelled as he punched the ground again.

"Yes you can. You just need to try a little harder. You'll be able to do it in no time," said Doctor # 4.

"No! I don't want to do it anymore! I don't want anymore tests!" he continued to yell.

The doctors sighed, but nodded in agreement. "I think that should be enough tests for now. We'll have the results of the others in a while. For now, you should rest," said Doctor # 2 as he picked Yugi up, and placed him back under the bedcovers.

"Now you get some rest. Don't try walking again, unless you have someone with you to help you if you fall," he said as he and the other doctors walked out.

"Call us if you need anything, ok sweetie," said the nurses as they too left the room. Yugi sighed and closed his eyes, wanting nothing more that to rest. He didn't want to try to walk, or anything. He just wanted sleep. All he wanted was to fall asleep in Yami's arms.

------------------------------------------

Yami stood up quickly when the doctors walked out of Yugi's room. He rushed up to the one that had talked to him last night. "Well?"

"Everything seems to be fine. It's a miracle that he was even able to wake up. We were so sure that he wouldn't survive. He is very lucky, and so are you."

Yami just nodded, and pressed the Dark Magician plushie closer to his chest. The last thing he wanted to do was to think of last night. In fact, he wished that he could erase that memory from his mind. "So, he's ok now?"

"Just about. He's still weakened though, and his health could drop at any minute. He is also having trouble walking."

"Walking?"

"He can't walk."

Yami's breath stopped short. He couldn't walk!! How could that happen? What the _HELL_ did the gods have against him?!?!?!

"I'm sorry, I should have phrased that better," said the doctor quickly, trying to correct his mistake. "He can walk, but his legs are very weak. He can't take more than two steps at a time before he falls over. He should recover soon, though."

"A-are you sure?" Yami asked, his throat extremely dry.

"Yes. Don't worry. He should recover in a few hours, perhaps a day," the doctor said.

Yami sighed in relief. ((I should send this fool to the Shadow Realm for scaring me like that.)) "Can I go in now?"

"Of course. I'll be back in a few hours for a check up."

Yami practically ran into his light's room, and rushed up to the bed. He felt all his fears wash away as he looked down upon the sleeping Yugi. The spirit couldn't help but smile as he placed the plushie next to the teen, chuckling lightly when the toy was immediately grabbed and cuddled. ((He's so beautiful. I don't know why the gods placed me with him. He's so much better than me, and I do nothing but hinder him. I'm not worthy enough to be with such a creature.))

Yami was still watching Yugi, when the other teen opened his eyes. Sleepy violet eyes looked up into ruby, and blinked. "Yami?" came the whispered question.

"Yes, Little One?"

"I'm cold."

It was a simple statement. Two small words, but they meant so much to the Pharaoh. It meant that Yugi wanted him to hold him, to be close to him. It meant Yugi wanted him to stay around, even if it was only for comfort. So Yami quickly climbed into the bed, holding Yugi tightly as the smaller boy snuggled up to him. The happy sigh from his light made Yami's heart swell with pride. It was him, not Kyoji, nor anyone else, but Yami who was making Yugi happy. The crimson-eyed Pharaoh couldn't have been happier.

Yugi nuzzled his face into Yami's neck, smiling at the warmth that his other half was giving off. He felt so at ease in Yami's arms. The universe could blow up, or the world could explode. Marik, Bakura, and Seto could even team up and take over the world for all he cared. As long as he was in Yami's arms, nothing else in the entire universe mattered.

All of a sudden, Yugi realized that there was something in his arms. He looked down, and noticed the Dark Magician plushie. "Uh…Yami?"

"Yes, Aibou?" asked Yami, while stroking Yugi's back.

"Since when…was I holding a Dark Magician?"

Yami blushed at the mention of the stuffed toy. "Well…I…uh…decided to get you…a present."

Yugi just stared at the other teen, who stared back. Yami could feel his blush grow stronger with each passing second the more he looked into his aibou's eyes. Why was he staring?

Yami opened his mouth to say something else, when he received a massive glomp from Yugi. The hug was so tight, the spirit felt as if he was going to pass out. He could feel his lungs shrivel up, and his ribs crack. If he wasn't already dead, Yami was sure he would have died again from lack of oxygen.

"THANK YOU, YAMI!!!" said an excited Yugi as he continued to squeeze the non-existent life out of his darker half.

"Yugi…I kinda…need air…" the spirit said as he tried to draw in a breath, but to no avail.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Yami!" said Yugi as he promptley let go of the spirit, and hugged the stuffed toy instead. "Thank you so much! I love it!"

Yami smiled widely. He made his hikari happy! The world was perfect. "I'm glad you like it, my Aibou.

Suddenly, Yugi kissed Yami on the cheek. The teen turned a bright shade of red, and looked away. Yami just sat there in shock. He must have been dreaming. If he was, there was no way he was going to wake up, and Ra help whoever tried. Yami's face broke out into a goofy grin, as he gave Yugi a big hug in return, kissing his light's cheek as well.

Yugi squeaked in surprise. He was definetly not expecting _that_ reaction. He didn't even know why he had kissed Yami in the first place. Well, besides the fact that he loved the spirit with all his heart and soul. But he could always blame the kiss on the present. He was just really happy, and it was a random kiss. Yea, that would work.

The two just sat there in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Yugi went back to his position of lying on top of Yami, the Dark Magician in his arms. Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi, and pulled the blankets on top of them. If they had to spend time in the hospital, they might as well be comfortable.

"Man, the others will have heart attacks when they hear what happened on our vacation," chuckled Yugi.

"Uh, yea. Let's just leave this part out."

"Why? Afraid they are going to blame you?"

"No, I'm just afraid of what Jou will do."

"What? The great and powerful Pharaoh afraid of a puppy? I never thought I'd see the day," Yugi said in mock surprise.

"You wish!" Yami said as he playfully ruffled Yugi's hair, making the smaller one's face scrunch up in dislike. "It's just that he's taller, stronger, and you know how he gets when it comes to you getting hurt."

"He's almost as bad as you."

"I'm hurt. Here I am risking my life………afterlife, and this is the thanks I get?" Yami said, placing a hand over his heart in mock saddness.

"Aww. I sowwy, Yami," Yugi said. "You forgive me?"

"I don't know. That really hurt my feelings," Yami said, putting on a hurt expression.

"Pwease, Yami? I really am sowwy," said Yugi, as he gave Yami his saddest puppy eyes yet.

"Agh! Those eyes! Fine, I forgive you!! Just stop with the eyes!" Yami said as he shielded his own eyes from Yugi's puppy eyes of doom.

"Yay! Yami forgives me!" Yugi said to the Dark Magician plushie, before giving his darker half another huge glomp. "Tank'u Yami-chan!" Yugi said as he nuzzled his cheek against Yami's cheek.

Yami was blushing profusely now. His hikari was giving him so much affection, the spirit couldn't take it. ((Kawaii!!!)) the spirit thought as he glomped Yugi back, a huge, silly smile on his face. Yugi always had that effect on him. He couldn't help it. Yugi was just too adorable!!

Yugi let go of the other teen, and curled up in Yami's lap, playing with the Dark Magician plushie. "Yami's the greatest, isn't he DM?" he asked the doll, who nodded in return.

Yami blushed even more, but his smile grew twice the size. Yugi was so adorable sometimes. So innocent and pure. ((If I smile anymore, my face will be stuck like this forever.)) But Yami didn't care that much. He just held Yugi close, and buried his face in Yugi's hair, taking in his scent of wild strawberries.

"Yami, your breath tickles," Yugi giggled, as a shot of warm air hit his neck.

"You think that tickles?" Yami asked with a smirk.

"Yami no!" Yugi said with a smile, as he scooted away from his counterpart.

"But it's so much fun…for me," Yami said as he scooted closer to his light, getting ready to tickle to boy sensless.

"If you do, then I'll tell Jou and the others," Yugi threatened. "Then Jou and Honda are going to hunt you down. Seto, Marik, Bakura, and Otogi are going to insult you. Malik and Ryou won't ever talk to you again. AND Anzu is going to give you a speech on how you should always take care of your friends."

Yami backed away and pouted. /You are so mean! You ruin my fun!/

/Yup!/ Yugi replied cheerfully, laughing when Yami stuck his tongue out at him. /You are so mature. I'm sure you were a very dignified ruler./

"As a matter of fact I was! It was Seth that was always getting me into trouble! Just cause he was two years older, my father listened to him. Even when I was Pharaoh the bastard caused me trouble, stealing food and blaming it on me. And people thought he was all noble and stuff."

"Yami, as much as I _hate_ to interrupt your ranting, and _believe_ me, I do," Yugi said sarcastically, earning a semi-glare from the other, "I would like to change the topic now. Besides, DM is getting bored," he said as he held up the plush toy infront of Yami's face.

Yami chuckled lightly. Yugi was so cute when he was like that. "Well, all that ranting has made me tired."

"It made me tired just listening to it," Yugi muttered under his breath, earning a full glare from the spirit. "Besides, my legs hurt from sitting like this, so move your butt, so that I can change positions!" Yugi said as he pushed Yami out of the way and lay back down on Yami's chest.

Yami was suddenly reminded of something very important. "Yugi…the doctors told me you are having trouble walking."

Yugi stiffened at that sentece. "Yeah," he responded quietly. "It seems…I can't walk."

"Forever?" asked Yami, horrified at the thought of Yugi being injured permenantely.

Yugi just shrugged. "I don't know. I can stand up, but not very well. I can't…I can't take any steps. I just can't walk anymore," he responded, his body starting to tremble.

"Yugi don't worry. I'm sure it's only temporary. You'll be walking in no time, you'll see."

"But what if I don't? What if I can't walk ever again?"

"Don't say that. You just need some time to get better," Yami said, as he rocked back and forth, trying to comfort his hikari before he cried.

"What if it's true?! What if...what if I never recover? What if I have to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair just because I was enough of an idiot to go and get myself hurt? I don't want that, Yami. I just want everything to go back to normal," Yugi said, crystaline tears welling up in his eyes again.

Yami didn't reply. Instead, he continued to rock back and forth, whispering soothing words to his smaller look-a-like. It hurt Yami so much to see Yugi like this. If Yugi was injured forever, Yami didn't think he'd be able to stand the guilt. All this because he lost control of his temper. Yami was the idiot, not Yugi.

"I'm sorry Yami," Yugi whispered.

"For what?"

"…For being such a moron. You deserve a better hikari. Not one who's a stupid, selfish brat."

"Yugi don't ever say that about yourself again! No one else can be a better hikari than you!"

Yugi shook his head. "No. I'm a useless, worthless kid. You always get hurt because of me, and you always put yourself in danger because of me. You always have to fix my stupid mistakes. I have no right to be your hikari."

Yami grabbed Yugi's head, and pulled his face up so that the two were looking into each other's eyes. "Yugi, listen to me. You are everything and more that I could have asked for in a hikari. There is no one else in this world I treasure more. You saved me, and you gave up your soul twice to protect me. I am the one not worthy of having you."

Yugi pulled his head away and looked out the window, the tears shimmering in his eyes. (How can he think that of me? He's so much better than me, and I'm just holding him back.) One of his tears slipped from his eye, and landed on the plush toy in his arms. Before another could fall though, it was caught by Yami's finger.

"Yugi, don't cry. I only spoke the truth. You are the greatest person on this planet. You are a true angel, and I do not deserve to have you as my Aibou."

Yugi only shook his head, as he continued to stare out the window.

"Yugi, it's true! You are an angel. You are the most precious think in the world to me, and I have always thought so."

"But why?!"

"Because I love you!"

------------------------------------------------------------------

Star: YAY!!! The confession has finally arrived!!!

Yami: It's about time!

Star: But it's not over yet!

Yugi: What? I thought it was.

Star: Nope. I like putting things like this off.

Yami: You mean you like to torture us!

Star: ::big smile:: Yup. So please review!

(Important Note)

Ok, so now that you have read the story (or skipped the entire chapter just to read this note) you know that Yugi has his memories. Many of you have asked if Yugi would remember his life when he woke up, and the answer is that he never lost his memories in the first place. If you are confused about this, I'll explain. Yugi never actually lost his memories in the real world. It was all a trick that Dot (Death) played on Yugi. She removed Yugi's memories so that he wouldn't put up a fight when she was about to take his life. But his memories were never actually gone. When Yugi remembered Yami's name, Death panicked. That's why she was trying so hard to get Yugi to take her hand, because if he did, he would have really died. But luckily for him (and me, cause you people probablly would have hunted me down if he didn't survive) Yami showed up.

Well, now that the thing about his memories is cleared up, please review! Or go back and read the chapter from the beginning, you lazy people, you!


	24. Secrets Revealed

Star: HIYA!!!!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I'm posting this up just before midnight, so that it will be a Christmas present to all of you. I can't believe that this story is almost over, but it's true. It's been almost a year since I started this story, and you can't believe how sad I am to see it end. But don't worry! It's not over yet! There are still a few more chapters left!

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great time reading this chapter!

disclaimer: don't own Yugioh.

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

-------------Secrets Revealed-----------

Yami's words bounced off the walls, as the room's occupants were shocked into silence. Neither moved an inch, and barely dared to even breathe. Yugi continued to stare out the window, his eyes widened in surprise. His mouth was opened slightly, as his breathing started to come out in quiet pants. Yami just stared at Yugi, his mind screaming at him for being so stupid.

((NO! I didn't mean to say that! Ra damn it all! How could I have been so stupid to have screamed it out?! Especially to him!))

The teens continued to sit in silence, neither knowing what to say to break the thick tension in the air. Finally, Yami gathered his thoughts and decided to remedy the situation. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes tightly. Well, it was now or never.

"Yugi, w-what I meant t-to s-say was, that I…I mean…it's…I m-mean…"

((Ok, this is going to be harder than I thought. Oh Ra, please don't let him hate me.))

Yami took in another deep breath, and cracked open one eye, and saw that Yugi was staring at him with a blank look on his face. Yami stared back at him, watching the emotions flicker in his light's violet eyes. "Y-you see, I d-didn't…I mean, I do, but-"

"Yami."

The spirit fell silent, and just stared back at the boy in his arms. He held his breath, hoping, praying, and begging the gods that his light wouldn't hate him. "Y-yes, Aibou?"

"Leave me."

Yami's crimson eyes widened enormously. What……WHAT?! What in all the seven hells did he just say? Yami opened and closed his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. The spirit was much too surprised to even think of anything to say. After a few minutes, Yami finally managed to whisper out a confused, "What?"

"I want you to leave," repeated Yugi, as he pulled away from the Pharaoh and turned his back to Yami. The boy bit his lip to keep the tears away, at least until Yami had left.

"B-but…why?"

"Because I…want to be alone right now," Yugi answered, as he clenched the bed sheets in his fists.

"Aibou-"

"Yami, please. Not now," the other boy whispered, starting to loose the battle against his tears. He could already feel them starting to slip from his eyes. If Yami didn't leave soon, he would start crying again. That was the last thing he wanted to do, especially at this time.

"……If that is what you want," the crimson eyed spirit whispered back. Yami stood, and walked to the door. He gave his hikari one last look, before walking out.

Once Yugi heard the door shut, he collapsed on the bed and started to cry. The small teen's body trembled with each sob, as he felt his heart breaking. Why? Why did Yami have to say those words? True, it was what he had always wanted to hear, but he just couldn't believe the other. After everything that had happened, he didn't know if he could trust anybody anymore. He didn't even know if he could trust himself.

He just wanted to go back home, to go back in time when everything was fine. When he never had to worry about being in love, or anything like that. He just wanted his old life back. Right now, he wished that he had never solved the puzzle. He wished he had never held it in his hands, or even heard about it. If he hadn't solved it, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have had to save the world, or duel psychopaths after the Pharaoh's power. He would have had a normal teenage life.

But…he wouldn't have been happy. Yugi knew that it was the puzzle, it was Yami, that made his life worth living. But now, Yami was only causing him pain. Yami should never have told him that he was in love with him. It only hurt Yugi more every time he thought back to when the spirit had yelled out those words.

"Yami, did you lie to me? Why did you tell me you loved me? Why must you torment me so?" Yugi asked quietly, burying his face into the Dark Magician plushie. The plushie held Yami's scent, which calmed the boy slightly, though he was still in a great deal of emotional pain. Soon, Yugi stopped crying, though his body still shook with sadness. "Oh Yami. Why?"

----------------

Outside, Yami was sitting in a chair, asking himself the same question. He wrapped his arms around his knees, as he curled into a ball, and tried to disappear from all sight.

((I should have known. He told me he loved someone. How could I have thought he would love me? I should never have told him that. No wonder he hates me. I should just leave him forever, then I won't get in the way of him and his real love. I just wish it was me that he loved.))

Yami felt tears on his cheeks, and curled up tighter, as if that would shelter him from the pain he was feeling. But nothing could keep his heart from breaking. He was a fool for even trying to pursue a life with Yugi. He just wasn't good enough for the younger boy. He never was and he never would be.

"Yugi deserves better than me," Yami said, and sighed. He made everything worse. He just wished that Yugi didn't hate him. ((Who am I kidding? Yugi has every right to hate me. It was my fault that all of this happened to him. I'd be surprised if he didn't hate me.))

"Maybe I should leave him. He doesn't want me around anymore. He'd be happier if I wasn't around," Yami said. Though it hurt him to know that his aibou, the one he loved, the one he had dedicated his life to, didn't want him anymore. The spirit uncurled from his ball, and placed his feet on the ground, though he made no move to get up. He just sat there staring at the hospital door, sadness and grief overflowing in his scarlet eyes.

Should he leave? Did Yugi really want him to go away? Would everything be better if he left? These questions kept bothering Yami. The Pharaoh had made a promise from the moment he was freed that he would do anything to make Yugi happy. If leaving would make the smaller teen happy, then the spirit would do it. His feelings didn't matter as long as Yugi was happy. Or so he thought.

Yami looked away from the door, and stood up. If he left, there was no way he could ever come back. But he didn't want to leave. He never wanted to leave. But he didn't have a choice. It was all up to Yugi if he stayed or if he left. It was up to his precious hikari if Yami could continue on in this world, or go on to the afterlife.

"Yugi, please don't push me away," he said as he took a step towards the door, and reached out his hand. Before his hand could grasp the handle, though, he faltered. With a sigh, Yami dropped his hand by his side, and with one last look at the closed door, he walked off.

----------------

Yugi was lying on his side in the bed, just holding the plush toy as tightly as he could. He stared out the window as he watched the sun being covered by gray clouds, and watched as the snow started to gently fall to the ground. Suddenly he got a chill, and wished for it to be warmer. He covered himself with the blankets, but to no avail. The teen duelist knew that the only way for him to get warm was if his yami was there to hold him. Yugi scoffed at his thought. (Yea, like that is ever going to happen.)

Why couldn't he just trust Yami's words? What if Yami was telling the truth? What if he really did love him? What if he had pushed him away, and blew his only chance to be with the spirit?

Yugi shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. He just couldn't trust the other so easily. He didn't want to be hurt anymore than he already was. It could have been a mistake. That was probably it. Yami had accidentally blurted those words to him, when they were really meant for another. The person he really loved.

Yugi's body started to tremble again. Why couldn't it have been him that the Pharaoh had fallen in love with? The smaller teen couldn't help but be jealous of the person who had captured the spirit's heart. (I just hope they know how lucky they are.) Now Yugi would never be able to tell the spirit how much he loved him.

He wanted to see Yami again. He wanted to talk to the other, to just be by Yami's side. That's all he really wanted. He wanted to keep being Yami's hikari. He wanted to be his aibou, no matter who was first in Yami's heart. Was that selfish of him? To want to be with Yami, even if it was only as his partner? Was that too much for the young boy to wish for?

/Y……Yami?/ he whispered through their link. He just hoped that the spirit would talk to him.

/…………Yes, A-Yugi?/

/C-can you…come back…please?/ he whispered. His voice started to crack with sadness. He had heard Yami's correction. He didn't call him aibou. Did that mean that the other didn't consider him his aibou anymore?

/……Of course./

----------------

Yami's heart was beating so hard, it felt like it was about to explode. Was this it? Was this when Yugi would tell him that he no longer wanted him as a yami? As Yami slowly walked back to Yugi's room, the feeling of dread washed over him like a tidal wave. Was this the end? ((What ever makes Yugi happy,)) he told himself, right before entering the room.

He looked towards the bed, and saw Yugi sitting up, just staring at the Dark Magician plushie in his lap. The boy wasn't doing anything else, but continued to stare at the stuffed toy. Yami walked over to him, and stood by the bedside quietly, waiting for the smaller teen to say something.

"Yami, why did you say that earlier?" Yugi asked in such a low voice, that the crimson eyed boy had trouble hearing it. But when he did, he felt his heart stop. Why did he have to ask that question? But there was no escaping it now. He had to answer, and he might as well tell the truth.

"Because…it's true."

Yugi didn't say anything, but took one of the magician's hands in his and started to move it up and down slowly. He didn't look up at the other boy, nor did he say anything. He just played with the doll's hand, while Yami watched.

"Why?" he asked, this time more quietly than the first.

"Because I do. I have loved you since the moment I saw you, and I always will."

Again Yugi didn't reply, but he took the other doll's hand in his remaining hand, and moved that one up and down as well. Up and down, up and down, continuously, never changing pace or motion. Never once looking up at Yami. Never once breaking the silence.

Yami started to fidget. Why was Yugi asking these questions? Wasn't it enough that he didn't love him back? The questions felt like they were ripping his heart out. But he had to keep up a strong face, lest he break down in tears. Yugi's change in movements broke him of his thoughts, as he looked down upon his aibou's…Yugi's form.

Yugi started to shake his head, confusing the spirit. The boy gripped the stuffed toy tightly as he bit back a sob. It would have been so much easier if Yami had just said it was a mistake. If he had said the confession was not meant for him, he could have taken it. But Yami said he loved him. That was hurting him deeply. What if it was a joke? Or what if it was just a dream, and none of this was real? He didn't want to open himself up to be hurt like that.

"You can't."

"W-what?"

"You can't love me."

"Why?"

"You can't. It just can't be real."

"But it is! I do love you."

"But how could you love me? Why would you love me?"

"Yugi, I have always loved you!"

"But how? Why me?"

"Because you are perfect, and beautiful, and kind, and-"

"Stop. STOP! I don't want to hear it!" Yugi yelled as he covered his ears with his hands. He couldn't listen to it. If he believed him, and it turned out to be a lie, Yugi would never be able to continue living. He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to look at Yami, or into his blood-red eyes.

"Yugi?" Yami called the boy as he sat down next to him. Immediately, Yugi backed away from his darker half. Yami frowned as he lowered his head and averted his gaze. "I'm sorry, Yugi. For causing you so much grief."

"I just don't know what to do. I want to believe you, but I don't want to find that none of this is real. I…I don't want to be hurt anymore."

"Yugi, I'd never hurt you. I'd rather die. But everything I say is true. I can't help the way I feel. I can't help loving you, and no matter what happens, I'll always love you."

The two boys were silent after that. Neither wanted to talk after that, each lost in their own thoughts. Yami was thinking of how he should never have told Yugi his feelings. Yugi was thinking of how much he wanted to just believe his dark. The two teens kept their eyes from each other, not wishing to look upon the other.

Yami turned his eyes towards the window, and watched as the snow fell from the sky. The coldness from outside matched the way he was feeling now. He was numb all over. Especially his heart. The only thing he could feel was his heat breaking in two. Life just wasn't fair. Suddenly he felt Yugi move towards him, and looked towards the boy, who was now sitting in front of him. Yami held his breath, expecting anything to happen. He wouldn't be surprised if Yugi pushed him off the bed.

"I don't want to be hurt."

"I'd never hurt you," Yami replied, as Yugi climbed into his lap. Yami hesitated for a second, before wrapping his arms around Yugi's waist. But Yugi just sat stiffly in his lap, and Yami could feel his body tremble slightly.

"I don't want to be hurt," Yugi repeated.

"I'd die before hurting you," Yami answered, as Yugi gingerly placed his head on Yami's shoulders. Though the boy was still tense, and refused to relax. Yami tightened his grip on the boy lightly, but that only caused another tremble to course through the smaller one's body.

"I don't want to be hurt," said Yugi for the third time as he buried his face in Yami's neck.

"I love you too much to hurt you," said Yami as he felt Yugi relax slightly. Then Yugi suddenly pulled back, and stared into Yami's eyes, his own amethyst orbs shining with tears of sadness, joy, fear, and happiness.

"T-tell me again," Yugi whispered.

"I love you, my precious aibou."

Yugi then grabbed Yami in a death grip, and hugged the spirit tightly. "I love you too, Yami," he said as the tears finally broke free.

Yami gasped as he heard Yugi's confession. Could it be true? Did Yugi love him as well? He felt his own tears of joy fall down his cheeks as he hugged his light, his love, back just as tightly. He smiled through his tears, as his wish finally came true. "You do?"

Yugi nodded, as he buried his face in the crook of Yami's neck. "I do. I always have, but I was so afraid that you didn't love me back. I love you, Yami. I love you so much it hurts," he said as he nuzzled his cheek against Yami's neck.

"Yugi, I can't tell you how happy I am right now. My Yugi, my hikari, my koi," the spirit answered as he kissed Yugi's forehead. He sensed Yugi's blush at the affectionate name, and he laughed. The other boy joined in, and soon they were holding each other tightly, and laughed while their tears still flowed down.

Soon after they calmed down, and just held on to each other, as they sat in a peaceful silence watching the snow flutter gently from the sky. Yugi let out a blissful sigh and cuddled closer to the spirit, who happily held the boy. Yami nuzzled the top of Yugi's head affectionately, causing another contented sigh to escape the smaller boy. Yami gazed down at his love, and kissed Yugi's forehead again. Yugi looked up at his dark half and smiled, receiving a smile back. Then Yami leaned down and grazed his lips against Yugi's.

Yugi blushed darkly, but did not pull back. Instead, he lightly brushed his lips against Yami's, causing the spirit to smile. Yami then pressed down on Yugi's lips, savoring the sweet taste of his new love. Yugi's eyes slowly slid shut as he felt a jolt of pleasure course through him. His entire body seemed to ignite the second that Yami touched their lips together. He felt a delighted shiver run down his spine, as he leaned in closer to bring the kiss deeper. He felt Yami's tongue run across his bottom lip, and parted his lips, letting him enter his mouth.

Yami felt as if he was in heaven the second he slipped in to his aibou's mouth. His aibou tasted so sweet, and was so addicting. It was ambrosial, and the spirit soon lost himself to the flavor. His tongue caressed Yugi's, and soon the two were in a heated, sensual dance. They went over and under each other, reveling in the heat brought on by their kisses. The spirit explored every inch of Yugi's soft, warm cavern, as a pleasure filled moan reached his ears. His heart swelled with pride, as he voiced his own happiness.

Yugi's hands slipped into Yami's hair as he pulled the boy closer to him. He shivered when he felt Yami's hands roaming down his sides as they went over his chest, and under the hem of his shirt. Yugi shivered again when he felt one finger slip under his shirt, and caress his stomach. He moaned again as the pleasure went down to his core. He deepened the kiss, briefly fighting for dominance, before letting Yami take control. He was more than happy to let the spirit have his way.

After a while, they ended the kiss, but not without many regrets. The two lovers gazed deeply into each others eyes, their faces flushed, and their breathing heavy. Yugi gave a Yami a lazy smile, as the spirit stroked Yugi's cheek. The boy closed his eyes, and lay his head back on Yami's shoulder. He let out a sigh as he curled up in Yami's lap and listened to the Pharaoh's heartbeat. He couldn't remember a time when he was happier.

"You should rest for a while, Little One," he heard Yami say quietly.

"I'm not tired," he replied as he nuzzled into Yami's chest.

Yami couldn't help but smile. Everything he wanted had come true. It was like a miracle. He had to remember to scream, dance, and jump around like a crazy idiot the next time he could. ((I'm an idiot in love,)) he thought as he kissed Yugi again. "You really should sleep. I don't want you being sick anymore," he said when they broke apart.

"You're just saying that cause you want to cuddle me," Yugi replied with a smirk.

"And what if I like to cuddle you? You're just so cute, and soft, and cuddly, and-"

Yugi gave Yami another short kiss, effectively silencing the spirit. "Yami, I love you, but right now, shut up." Yami just smirked at his aibou, who gave him a kiss on the nose. "If you stay with me, I promise I'll try to think about considering about maybe wondering if I should or should not go to sleep."

Yami just stared at his light with a confused look. "Wha?"

Yugi giggled, and pulled the two back down to the bed. "You're so cute when you're all confused like that."

"Please, Yugi," Yami scoffed. "I am a powerful Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's are not in any way, shape, or form 'cute'."

"Yes, O great and powerful king. Forgive me for insinuating such an unthinkable thing." Yugi said with mock regret.

"I don't know. You might have to be punished," Yami said with another smirk. His crimson eyes lit up with mischief and childish happiness.

"Really? And what does my great Pharaoh Atemu have in mind?" Yugi said as he returned Yami's smirk. His own indigo eyes glowed with happiness as he accepted Yami's game.

"You'll receive your punishment later. But now, I want you to rest," the spirit said as he placed his head on Yugi's chest.

/Spoilsport./

"Yugi, your king orders you to rest."

"Fine, fine. But we're going to continue this later," Yugi answered his love as he closed his eyes.

"Oh, don't worry. We definitely will.

----------------

It was noon when Yugi slowly opened his eyes and woke up. He blinked to get his eyes used to light that was pouring through the window. The midday sun was shining brightly off of the snow on the window sill, casting a glow in the entire room. Yugi blinked again as he felt a slight stirring on his chest. He looked down, and saw the most adorable sight ever.

Yami was still sleeping, his beautiful, golden skin glistening with the kisses of the sun's rays. His normally stoic, serious face was relaxed, and calm, a tiny smile gracing the Pharaoh's lips. His dark red eyes were closed and thick black lashes were resting delicately upon his cheeks. One stray blonde bang hung in front of his face, and Yugi pushed it behind the spirit's ear, so that he could get a better look at the spirit. Yugi could feel Yami's chest rising up and down, as the spirit continued his peaceful rest. All in all, Yami was beautiful.

Yugi closed his eyes for a minute, and when he opened them he found Yami was looking at him. The teen smiled at his dark half, and gave him a light kiss. "Good morning, sleepy head," he said.

"I don't want to wake up. I was having the best dream."

"Really? What was it about?"

"I finally destroyed Bakura, and sent him to the Shadow Realm forever. There was also something in there that included Seto and a dress," Yami said as he smiled evilly.

Yugi just started laughing. He couldn't help it, it was just too funny. Picturing Seto in a dress would make anyone laugh. That is, until the tall brunette sent his hired assassins after them. That second thought just made Yugi laugh harder. He felt tears gather at the corners of his eyes, and he had stitches in his sides that were killing him.

"Mind letting me in on what's so funny?"

"Seto…in…dress…and then…sending hit men…to kill off…whoever laughs…at…him," Yugi said between laughs. He just couldn't take anymore laughter. His lungs felt shriveled up, but he just couldn't stop laughing.

Yami just chuckled and shook his head at the scene before him. "Only you would find that funny, Aibou."

Finally after a long time, Yugi calmed down, though he was still snickering at the thought of the CEO in a dress. He slid down till he could rest his head on Yami's shoulder, and looked up at the spirit. Yami looked down at him and smiled. The spirit nuzzled Yugi's cheek, and said, "Aishiteru."

"Aishiteru, Yami," Yugi replied happily. "I wish I had told you sooner though."

"Why didn't you?"

"…Because I was afraid thatyoudhatemeandleave," Yugi mumbled, as he looked away.

"I could never hate you. Why would you think that I'd hate you, Aibou?"

"B-because…" (Should I tell him about my dreams?)

"Why, Yugi? What could ever make you think that'd I'd hate you? "

"One night last week, I had a dream. And I know this might sound really stupid to you, and it was probably nothing, but something's shouldn't be taken so lightly, and I just couldn't-"

"Yugi?" Yami said, as he silenced the other teen by placing a finger on Yugi's lips. "What are you trying to say?"

Yugi took a deep breath and began again. "I had a dream last week that I was in a forest with snow everywhere. I was looking for you, but when I found you, you…"

"I what?"

"You…you told me…that you didn't want to be with me ever again. Then you walked away, and I called after you. I kept calling, and calling, but you just left me," Yugi finished quietly, as he felt a wave of sadness wash over him when he recounted his dream.

Yami hugged Yugi tightly, trying to make the boy forget about the dream. "Yugi, it was only a dream. I want to be with you forever. I'd never leave you."

"But…the way you looked at me. Your eyes were filled with such hatred, and I was afraid."

"Yugi, look at me." Yugi then lifted his gaze and stared deeply into Yami's eyes. "I will never look upon you with anything other than love with these eyes. I swear with Ra as my witness."

Yugi nodded silently, and buried his face in Yami's neck. He was trying so hard to keep his eyes from welling up with tears. Yami's spicy scent was once again helping to calm him down. He felt Yami's hand start stroking his back, and he felt comfort flow through their link. He smiled, and sent gratitude back to Yami.

Yami looked down upon his light's form as he thought of everything that Yugi had just told him. Something of that dream seemed familiar. Suddenly it hit him. "Yugi, did you say that was a week ago?"

Yugi nodded in agreement.

"Was that the reason that you were avoiding me?"

"…Yes. I'm sorry, Yami. I didn't mean to, I was just scared. But…that wasn't the only time I had one of those dreams."

"You had more?"

"Yes. The others I had here. The second one was the day that we arrived here."

"So that was why you were thrashing and screaming?"

"Yea."

"I wish you had told me. I was so scared that something was wrong, and you wouldn't wake up no matter how hard I tried."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just…I don't know. I was scared myself. Especially of the last one."

"The last one?"

"I was in a clearing, and there was this shadowed figure. He walked over to me, and-"

"Picked you up. Then he started to walk away," Yami finished, a look of surprise passing over both his and Yugi's faces.

"How did you know that?"

"Because I had the same dream. I saw him take you away, but I couldn't go after you because I was frozen in place. When I finally could move, I walked off and ended up at a lake."

"The guy brought me to a big lake. I remember I touched it with my hurt hand-"

"That I had bandaged, because you had hurt it-"

"When I was running away from you-"

"Because I was chasing you through the forest-"

"Because I was scared after you told me you didn't want to be with me anymore."

The two boys sat there in silence, millions of thoughts running through their heads. How could they have the same dream? Wouldn't they have known if the other was in the dream as well? Then Yugi thought of something. "Yami, if we were having the same dream, was it really you that told me you didn't want me anymore?" he asked, slight fear in his voice.

Yami quickly shook his head. "It wasn't me. I swear it! I would never say that!"

Yugi just smiled, knowing in his heart that it was the truth. /Yami, lets just forget about it./ He buried his face farther into Yami's neck, and breathed in Yami's scent again.

Yami nodded, but he couldn't get his thoughts off of it. It was because of those dreams that Yugi had gotten hurt. Yami just knew it. That girl, Death, was she the one giving them those dreams? Was she the one who had called Yugi to the lake? She was supposed to take his life. That was why she had appeared in Yami's last dream. But why didn't she? She said she wasn't able to change his destiny, so then why did she let Yugi live? Could it be that she was going to come back for the smaller one?

Yami's eyes widened in fear. She couldn't come back! Not now! Not when Yami finally had Yugi's love. He wouldn't let Yugi leave for anything in the world. If only Yami could give his own life for Yugi's, but as he had already been dead for 5000 years, it was kind of pointless to think of it. Yami had to think of something, incase Death decided to come back. He had already lost Yugi more than once, and the spirit was not about to loose him again.

Yami shook his head forcefully, trying to clear his mind of such morbid thoughts. ((Calm down. Nothing is going to happen to Yugi. Everything will be fine.))

"Yami?"

The Pharaoh looked down and saw his hikari looking at him with worry shining in his large, violet eyes. The spirit smiled comfortingly back at him, saying, "Don't worry, koi. Everything is ok."

"Good," the smaller replied with a smile. "Yami, I'm bored."

"I can think of a few things we could do," the ancient Pharaoh answered, a perverted smirk on his face.

"I'm sure you could," Yugi replied, raising an eyebrow at his spirit. "But I'm also hungry."

"I'll go down, and get you something."

"I'll come with you," Yugi said as he started to get out of Yami's grip.

"Oh no you don't. You are staying in here, under the covers."

"But Yami-"

"I'm serious, Yugi. You will stay here and get better. I'll be back in a second."

"Fine! Besides, I don't feel like going around in a hospital gown. And NO, it is not the ones with the open back," he said as Yami leaned over his shoulder to look at Yugi's backside.

"Damn it! I was so close!"

"Yami! Hungry! Food, now!" Yugi said incredulously, while pushing his dark half off of the bed. "And don't bring any pudding. You know what they say about hospital pudding."

"You mean that it's stiff, and tastes like it's been stuck to the bottom of someone's foot for a year?"

Yugi made a gagging noise, while Yami just laughed. "Yami, that is sick! Now go."

"Ok, ok. I'll be back soon. Call me if you need something," the spirit said, giving his light a kiss, and walking out of the door.

Yugi sighed happily, and leaned back against the pillows. This was definitely the greatest day of his life. Wait till Ryou and Bakura find out what happened. They would freak!

Yugi chuckled at the thought, when he heard someone knocking at the door. The boy was confused, knowing that Yami couldn't be back that soon, and he certainly wouldn't have knocked. "Come in."

The door opened, and Yugi found himself looking into two very familiar silver eyes. "Kyoji!" he exclaimed happily.

"Yugi! You're awake!" the brunette said as he walked over to the bed, and gave Yugi a hug.

"Yea! I woke up this morning."

"I'm so glad. I was freaking out when I saw Yami carrying you. But everything's better now?"

"Well, almost. I can't walk very well, but the doctors said I just need time," he replied, giving the older boy a weak smile.

"Well, I hope you get better soon. Where is Yami?"

"Downstairs getting something to eat."

"He's not getting hospital food is he? You know what they say about hospital food, especially the pudding."

Yugi just laughed. It was great to have someone else care about him like that. Though he was pretty sure that if he told his other friends what had happened, they would all have caught the next flight over. "But how have you been?"

"Frantic, stressful, sleep deprived. You know, the usual. I think I'm even starting to get gray hairs. It's what I've always wanted," the instructor answered with a smile.

"At least it'd match your eyes."

"Because that is _really_ what I've always wanted," Kyoji said sarcastically. "But you sure everything is ok?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"I'm glad. I was worried that something might have happened to you when you didn't answer your cell yesterday. I never would have thought you'd get hurt. I almost had a heart attack when Yami ran up to me asking about you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you or Yami worried."

"Yugi, what were you doing out there? You know those woods are forbidden."

"I…just wanted to clear my mind. I didn't think I'd get lost out there, but when it got dark, I couldn't see the path anymore."

"I'm just glad Yami found you when he did. Speaking of which, is everything ok between you and Yami?"

"Yea! Oh Kyoji, everything is wonderful!" Yugi answered with a smile that made his eyes shine with happiness. "Yami told me he loved me!"

"That's great! So you two are together now?"

Yugi nodded eagerly. He could feel tears of joy welling up in his eyes, as he thought of the confession. True, it was not as romantic as he had pictured, but it didn't matter to the boy. Yami loved him! Nothing could be more perfect.

"I'm very happy for you, kid," Kyoji said as he gave Yugi a hug.

"I feel so happy I could burst," the younger boy answered.

The two were talking of random things when Yami walked in. He eyed the brunette warily, but still gave him a smile. He had helped in rescuing Yugi, so the spirit would try to be nicer. "Hello, Kyoji."

"Hay Yami. What's up. I'm glad that Yugi's gotten better," he said as the two looked over to Yugi, who was happily bouncing on the bed.

"Hiya Yami!" the teen said, giving the spirit a smile.

"Aibou, you know what jii-chan said about bouncing on beds," the crimson eyed ruler said with a smile.

"Well jii-chan isn't here," Yugi answered, though he stopped his bouncing.

"I should get going," Kyoji said as he checked his watch. "But I have a present for you, Yugi."

At the mention of the word 'present', Yugi's eyes lit up like a candle, and he resumed his bouncing. The silver eyed instructor pulled out the present, and handed it to the boy, who quickly ripped it open. In his lap was a box of pocky, and the boy squealed in delight. "You brought the pocky!"

"I figured you'd like it. After all, you did win it fair and square."

Yugi launched himself at the older boy, giving him a tight hug. "Thanks a lot, Kyoji!"

Yami just watched the scene from his position by the door. His eyes narrowed slightly when he watched his hikari give the other boy a hug. The spirit had said he would _try_ to be nicer to the other boy, but that all depended on the situation. And right now, the spirit didn't like this one.

"All right. I should get going now. See ya later, KID."

Yugi sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Again? Why do you keep saying it?"

"Because it's funny to see your expression when I say it," the silver eyed teen said with a laugh.

"You still have yet to tell me why."

"I don't know. It just is."

Yugi playfully stuck his tongue out at the boy, before ripping open the box of pocky and devouring one after the other. Kyoji and Yami chuckled at the sight. Kyoji walked towards the door and stopped in front of Yami who gazed at him with curious red eyes.

"Yugi told me about you two. You are very lucky. Take care of him, ok."

Yami just smiled and nodded. Maybe there was something to this boy after all. "Good bye. And thanks."

"No problem. See ya," the nineteen year old said as he walked out the door.

Yami closed the door and turned back to his hikari, bursting out in laughter when he saw the smear of chocolate on his light's cheek. "Um, Yugi. You have a little something on your cheek," the spirit said through laughs.

Yugi threw him a glare, and reached out his arms, silently beckoning the spirit closer. Yami sat down next to the boy, and was immediately pulled into a hug. He smiled down at Yugi, who gave him a bright smile back. Yami's eyes moved over to look at the chocolate smear, and a thought came to him. "Here Aibou, let me help."

Yugi's face turned the color of a cherry when he felt Yami's tongue come out and lick his cheek, licking off the chocolate. He only blushed more when he heard Yami say, "Very tasty."

"Yami! You…you…you!"

The Pharaoh laughed at the flustered look of his aibou. Yugi was just too cute like that. He couldn't resist, and bent down to give his aibou's soft cheek another lick. Suddenly he found himself on the floor. He looked up at the bed, only to find that Yugi had buried himself under the covers. He couldn't help but laugh again. The spirit got up, and tugged on the sheets, trying to uncover Yugi. Yugi, though, planned to stay under the blankets, and tugged back. Soon the boys were having a tug-of-war, with no victor in sight.

With one strong pull, Yami managed to rip the blankets off of Yugi, but in the process yanked the boy forwards till he fell off the bed. Just before he could hit the floor though, the spirit grabbed him. "Yugi, love, are you ok?" the spirit asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," the boy answered.

Yami sighed in relief, and placed Yugi on the ground, only to have the boy collapse on him. Yami grabbed Yugi and held him close. "You still can't walk, Little One?"

"I don't know," Yugi said with a shaky breath. "I haven't tried since the doctors came in, and that was three and a half hours ago."

"Maybe you should try now."

Yugi looked up at his lover unsurely. He didn't really want to try. He didn't feel like falling on the ground. But his yami's soft smile gave him some courage.

"Don't worry. I'll be here to catch you."

Yugi nodded slowly, and braced himself when he felt the spirit let go of him slowly. He wobbled a bit, grabbing Yami's shirt to steady himself. When he thought he was steady enough, he let go. The two smiled as Yugi stood up straight. "Well, I got this far," he said.

"Now take a step towards me," Yami said, taking a single step away from the boy.

Yugi again looked at his lover worriedly, but took a deep breath and started towards him. He felt himself become unsteady as he slowly lifted his foot, and paused. He looked back up at Yami, and gazed into the ruby orbs filled with love and encouragement. He took another deep breath and started forwards again, when he suddenly fell over. He landed in Yami's arms, and felt the boy hold him tightly. "It's ok. Just try it again," he heard the spirit say.

"I…I don't know if I can," Yugi said.

"Of course you can! Just try it again. Think of it as a game. You can do this."

Yugi nodded again, and pushed away from Yami, though he didn't let go of the Pharaoh's hands. The dark spirit stepped away again, till he was an arms length from Yugi, and held Yugi's hands firmly. He nodded to the boy, who nodded back. Yugi braced himself, and started to take a step forwards. His hands automatically clamped his lovers when he felt himself start to wobble again, but this time he didn't stop. Instead he pushed forwards and took a single step towards the other boy. He broke out into a huge grin at his accomplishment.

"That was great, Yugi!" the spirit said. "I told you you could do it! Now lets try another one."

Yugi nodded, and gingerly lifted his foot and took another step towards the Pharaoh. Yami praised him again, and the boy felt his confidence growing. He was walking! He was actually doing it! And it was all thanks to Yami. The hikari took another step towards his love, but unfortunately he lost his balance, and fell again. Yugi let out a groan, and placed his forehead on Yami's shoulder. "Kuso," he said softly.

"Don't worry, tenshi. Try again."

And so Yugi did. For the next ten minutes the teen took small steps, never letting go of his yami's hands. He could feel his strength returning to him, though sometimes he would fall over. Soon he was taking two steps, and then three. Yami never stopped encouraging and praising him, even when he felt it was hopeless.

"Little One, I think you should try to walk by yourself now," Yami said as he gently let go of Yugi's hands. Yugi bit his lip nervously when he felt his support leave. "You can do this."

"O-ok," he replied. He hesitantly lifted his foot, but quickly placed it back down. He looked over at Yami, the spirit smiling brightly at him. He sighed and looked down at his legs. (Come on. It's just like before,) he told himself. He lifted his foot again, and successively took a step towards his spirit. He smiled and attempted to take another step, but he lost his balance and fell to the floor.

"Yugi, are you ok?" asked Yami as he knelt down next to the boy.

"Uh huh," Yugi replied as he looked at his now scraped knees. Yami noticed them too and frowned. "It's ok. The Millennium Puzzle can heal you." Yami placed his hands over the injured knees, and used his shadow magic to heal them. He kissed Yugi on the cheek and lifted the boy to his feet. "Want to try again?"

"Yea. I want to do this," Yugi said with determination. He took a step towards the other boy, and then another. Occasionally Yugi would become unsteady, but he refused to let himself fall. Each time he took a step, Yami would step back. They continued that way till Yami felt the wall against his back. Yugi took a final step and walked into Yami's embrace. Tears of joy started flowing down the amethyst eyed boy's face.

"You did it! You walked across the room. I'm so proud of you, tenshi," Yami said as he embraced his lover tightly. Yugi just laughed and nodded, the tears still flowing down his face. Yami laughed with him, as he picked his small love up and started twirling him around.

"Oh Yami, I'm so happy, I feel like I could jump around."

"Let's hold off on that for now. But when you finally recover completely, I'll be there jumping with you."

"I love you, my wonderful Yami."

"I love you too, my beautiful Yugi."

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Star: YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Another happy ending! But it's not over yet. I still have a few more chapters after this!! So please review, keep waiting for my next chapter, and have happy holidays!


	25. Loving Embraces

Star: HIYA! I'm back! I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Years! I know I did!

Anyway, I am proud to announce that I have finally finished this chapter:blows noise maker: WOOT! So I hope you all enjoy!

Yami: Does this one have the lemon?

Star: Why would I tell you that?

Yami: Cause you love me and hate to see me sexually deprived.

Yugi: O.O :backs away from Yami:

Star: I'm not telling cause I don't want to ruin it for the readers.

Yami: T.T You are mean

Star:hugs: Thank you!

disclaimer: I don't own, you can't sue. I've said it before, I really hate you!

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

minor scene changes---

SPECIAL NEWS! This chapter is dedicated to Cherazz22784! Happy Late Birthday! Thanks for sticking with me this far:MEGA GLOMP: You're the best!

Loving Embraces-------------------

The doctor walked in to the room, and received another shock. Here was the patient and his friend, hugging and spinning around the room, laughing loudly and not caring who heard. He really had to pick better times to come in. He cleared his throat, catching the other boy's attention. He smiled when the two turned and looked at him, a bright red blush covering both of their faces.

"I see you are feeling much better, Yugi. After all, it's not every day that one goes from lying immobile in bed to jumping around the room like a monkey," he said, earning an even brighter blush from the boy.

"Um…well…you see," Yugi stuttered, trying to explain what he and Yami were doing, but he couldn't get a complete sentence out.

The doctor raised his hand, silencing the other boy. "It's ok," he said with a chuckle. "I'm just glad to see that you have recovered."

"Yep. I can even walk a little now!" Yugi said happily.

"You can?"

"Yep! Yami helped me!" Yugi said, giving his dark a hug, who just smiled happily and hugged him back.

"That's good to hear. I'll go get the nurse, and we'll see how far you've come along," the doctor said, leaving the two boys alone again.

"I'm so happy for you, Love," Yami said, nuzzling his cheek against Yugi's, drawing a giggle from the smaller boy.

"Maybe I can leave after this. I just want to spend time with you alone," Yugi said as he kissed Yami's cheek.

"You and me, forever," the spirit said.

"Longer than forever," Yugi replied.

Their moment was broken when the doctor walked back in the room, followed by a nurse holding a clipboard in her hands. She smiled at the two boys, silently apologizing for walking in on them during their time.

"Yami-"

"Don't ask me to leave the room," Yami interrupted her. "I'm not leaving Yugi," the spirit said, tightening his grip on the boy, his crimson eyes showing his determination.

"I understand. But you will need to let go of him, before we can start this," the doctor said.

Yami reluctantly let go of Yugi, keeping his arms around the boy a few moments longer incase he lost his balance again. When he saw that Yugi was ok, he walked over to a chair and sat down. He smiled at his hikari, and received a nervous smile back. /You'll be fine. Just do it like before./

Yugi nodded at him, and turned to the doctor, taking a deep breath and preparing himself. The doctor smiled at him, and walked over to him, taking a few notes on the clipboard. After a minute, he pulled Yugi over to the bed and sat him down. He checked the boy's reflexes, smiling and taking down notes all the time. "Ok. Now let's see you walk," he said, taking a few steps away from the bed, giving Yugi room.

Yugi bit his lip in nervousness, when he suddenly felt comfort and reassurance flow through the link. He glanced at Yami, feeling better when he saw his lover smiling at him. He smiled back and sent a mental hug to his dark. He then turned to look at the doctor, and with resolve, stood up, and took a step forwards.

The doctor, the nurse, and Yami all smiled at him, making him feel better. "That was good," the doctor said, writing something down. Yugi looked over at Yami, who nodded and smiled again. The teen let out a relieved sigh and relaxed slightly. If he could just do a few more like that, everything would be fine. The doctor asked him to do it again, and he complied, walking a few more steps. He wobbled slightly, but caught himself before he fell.

"You're still a bit unsteady, but you are progressing," the doctor said.

The nurse walked over to him, holding his shoulder lightly, incase he started to wobble again. "You are doing wonderfully," she said, giving his shoulder a light squeeze.

Yugi thanked her, when he felt a slight prick in the back of his head. The prick started to throb lightly. (I better stop worrying before I get a headache,) Yugi told himself, coming out of his thoughts when the doctor asked him to walk to him. (Ok, just have to go half way across the room. I can do this.) Yugi started to walk towards the man, gaining confidence with each step. But with each step it seemed the throbbing in his head seemed to grow. (Just get past it. It's just a headache,) he told himself. He wobbled again, but made it to the doctor.

"Very good! Now turn around and walk back."

Yugi nodded, and turned, starting to walk back. He took a few steps, but stopped when he became unsteady. He glanced worriedly at Yami, who started to sense something was wrong. The spirit leaned forward in the chair, ready to go to his aibou's aid. /It's ok, Yugi. Just a little farther./

Yugi turned to look back at the nurse, and started walking again. He took a few more steps, when suddenly he closed his eyes and fell forwards, the pain in his head becoming unbearable.

Yami dove out of the chair, and caught Yugi before he hit the ground. He held the boy in his arms, calling to him. "Yugi! Open your eyes! Come on!"

Yugi opened his eyes half way, looking up at his dark with a pained expression, tears starting to form at the edges of his eyes. "Yami, it hurts."

"What does?" he asked, but didn't receive an answer, watching as Yugi's face twisted in pain, the smaller boy grabbing his head, yanking his hair while trying to stop the pain.

"Make it stop! Yami, make it go away!" he cried.

"What's wrong with him!" Yami asked the doctor who was kneeling next to him.

"It looks like a headache, probably from the stress, but just to be sure, I'm going to do a few more tests. Bring him over to the bed, and I'll be right back," he said, once again exiting the room with the nurse.

The spirit hurried towards the bed, and placed his light under the covers. "Yugi?" he said quietly, not wanting to give the boy any more pain. Yugi didn't reply, but bit his lip and whimpered quietly. Yami frowned and sat on the bed next to his light, gently stroking the boy's hair. It seemed to help a little as Yugi's face took on a calm expression, and his hands released his head. He opened his violet eyes, and looked up tiredly at the Pharaoh.

"Are you feeling better, Koibito?" Yami asked quietly.

Yugi nodded his head, and closed his eyes again, sighing lightly as Yami's fingers continued to trail through his hair. "I'm sorry Yami. I must have disappointed you."

Yami shook his head. "Of course not! But you did scare me when you fell over. But you'll be better now."

Yugi nodded his head again, turning his head to the side and looking up at Yami. The spirit smiled softly at him, his scarlet eyes filled with love. Yugi's eyes closed half way as he continued to stare at Yami, feeling the throbbing in his head slowly leave. Without moving his eyes away from Yami, Yugi started to reach for something next to him. Yami, quickly catching on, reached over Yugi's form and handed the boy the Dark Magician plushie. Yugi held it tightly, and he relaxed a little more, leaning into Yami's caresses.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until the doctor came back in. Yami turned to look at him, but Yugi didn't move his gaze from his dark. The doctor walked over to the bed, and placed a hand on Yugi's forehead. After a few seconds, he removed his hand and placed an electronic thermometer in the teen's mouth. When the thermometer beeped, he took it out, and smiled when he read that Yugi's temperature was normal. The boys were relieved as well to find out that nothing was wrong.

"I'm going to give you some medicine that should get rid of the headache," said the doctor as he motioned for the nurse to come over. She handed him a glass of water and a pain killer. Yami helped Yugi sit up, and the boy leaned against Yami for support. His hand was shaking slightly as he took the glass of water, so Yami had to help Yugi again. Finally Yugi swallowed the pill, sighing as he felt Yami gently rub circles on his back. The pain killer seemed to take effect immediately, as the throbbing in his head turned into a dull ache.

"You should be fine now, but you must take it easy. Someone who went through your ordeal should stay in bed and rest. The last thing you want is a relapse of last night." Yami's eyes widened, and he felt Yugi tense up beside him. The last thing the two boys wanted to think about was last night.

"He'll be ok now?" the spirit asked the man.

"Yes. If he takes care of himself. We don't know how long he could be like this, and he could very well get sick again, and this time it could be worse. So you must be careful," the doctor warned. Yugi nodded, and leaned closer to Yami. "You must take care of him, Yami. In his state, anything could happen. Make sure he gets better."

Yami nodded as well, wrapping his arms around Yugi. He would do anything to ensure his aibou's well being. /You'll be back to yourself in no time, hikari. You'll see./

/You'll help/

/Of course I will./

"Now, you should stay here for a while longer, so that we can monitor your condition."

"But we can't! Tomorrow is our last day here. We have to leave after tomorrow," said Yami quickly. He wanted to get Yugi out of there quickly. He hated hospitals, especially when he was there because of his aibou.

"Would you like to go?" the doctor asked Yugi.

Yugi only nodded in return, too weary to speak. He wanted to leave as badly as Yami. He just wanted to spend some time alone with his love, and that was not going to happen in the hospital. Yugi gently tugged on Yami's sleeve, causing the other boy to tighten his grip on him. He felt comfort flow through him from his darker half, and relaxed slightly. But he knew that he wouldn't feel completely safe until he was a far distance away from this place. He had had bad experiences with hospitals, and planned to stay far away from one in the future.

"Ok then. Yami, come with me," the doctor said as he started to turn away. A small whimper stopped him though, and he turned back around to find Yugi looking slightly scared and holding on to Yami's arm tightly. "Don't worry. Yami just needs to fill out some forms, and he'll be right back."

"It's ok, Aibou. I won't be long," said Yami as he kissed Yugi's forehead and walked out the door with the doctor. Yugi watched him go, looking lost and alone.

He felt someone place their hand on his shoulder, and looked up at the nurse. She smiled kindly at him, and he felt slightly better. "You better get dressed, honey. I'll get your things for you."

Yugi smiled at her, as she placed his clothes and accessories on the bed in front of him. He quickly reached for the Millennium Puzzle, and placed it around his neck, instantly feeling better now that the familiar weight was back. He ran his fingers over the symbols, tracing the outline of the eye on the front. He felt so much safer, more secure, and more in tune with Yami. He sighed happily, and held the puzzle in his hands lovingly.

"That pendant must be very special to you," the nurse said.

"Yes. It's one of the most important things in the world," Yugi answered.

The nurse smiled at him and gave him a brief hug. "You get better soon, ok? Take care of yourself, sweetie," she said as she waved him goodbye and walked out the door, giving him privacy to dress.

When Yami walked back in the room, he saw Yugi lying on his back on the bed, fully dressed. He was just lying there, his eyes closed, holding the Dark Magician plushie in one arm, and stroking the puzzle with his other hand. Yami walked over, and gave him a light kiss. When he pulled away, Yugi opened his eyes and smiled at him.

"You ready to go, Yugi?" the Pharaoh asked.

Yugi didn't answer, but grabbed Yami's hand and intertwined their fingers. Yami smiled and pulled him up slowly. The spirit helped the other stand up, and pulled him into a hug. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"Yes, I can," Yugi replied.

Yami nodded, and placed one arm around Yugi's waist, and guided him to the door. They walked slowly, Yugi still being slightly weak from his ordeal. They walked in the elevator, and Yugi leaned against Yami's chest. His eyes started to droop shut out of weariness, and noticing this, Yami held him closer. "I can carry you if you want," he said.

Yugi didn't answer, but shook his head sleepily. The pain killers were really working well. Those, combined with the stress, were making him so tired. "Are you sure," he heard Yami ask. Again Yugi only shook his head. Faintly, he heard the elevator doors slide open. "I better carry you. You're almost asleep. You want me to?" This time Yugi nodded his head. He couldn't fight it anymore. He felt himself being lifted up into Yami's arms, and dropped his head against the spirit's shoulder. He snuggled into the embrace, fighting to stay awake, but sleep was winning the battle.

"Rest, Little One. You are worn out," the Pharaoh said as he carried his hikari through the lobby, and exited the hotel. The light from outside momentarily blinded him, but he didn't stop till he was a few feet away from the doors. The further away he was from this place, the better. The spirit looked around, and when he found what he was searching for, walked over to a silver car.

Yugi didn't say anything during this time. His eyes were almost shut, sleep having won the battle. His body relaxed completely in Yami's arms, and he held on to the plush toy lightly as he fell asleep. "Thanks for coming," he heard Yami say, but it was far away.

"No problem," he heard another voice say. He knew that voice. It was so familiar. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he was just too sleepy to think of anything other than how tired he was. He heard an engine start, and felt some movement, but still couldn't figure out where he was. "Is he asleep?" he heard the voice ask.

"Almost," he heard Yami reply. (Too many noises,) he thought as he scrunched his face up, and tried to hide from the noises by burying his face in Yami's neck. He felt Yami start stroking his side softly, calming him, till finally Yugi was asleep.

Yami watched as his light finally shut his eyes, falling into a light sleep. He smiled as he watched the boy let go of the plushie in favor of holding Yami's hand. The spirit continued to caress his lover's side, crimson eyes overflowing with love as he gazed down at Yugi. ((Beautiful angel,)) he thought. As if hearing his thoughts, Yugi let out a small smile, making the Pharaoh smile as well. ((I love you so much, my aibou. I will never leave your side.)) /Sweet dreams, my little beauty./

A little while later, the car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel. "Can you manage?"

"Yes. Thanks again, Kyoji," said Yami as he climbed out of the car, still holding a sleeping Yugi in his arms. The spirit entered the hotel lobby and headed for the elevator. He tried to be as gentle as possible, but unfortunately, Yugi stirred and woke up.

"Where are we?" he asked, sleep etched in his voice.

"We're almost to the suite. Just a little further," Yami said as he walked in to the elevator.

"Tired…" the smaller boy mumbled.

"I know. Soon you will be able to go to bed."

Finally, Yami walked into their suite, and walked to the bedroom, depositing his aibou on the bed and placing the covers on top of him. Yugi curled into a ball and closed his eyes. Yami brushed his bangs out of his face, causing Yugi to open his eyes again. Violet stared into crimson, as the two lovers gazed at each other. The smaller whimpered slightly, making the spirit curious. "What's wrong, koibito?"

/You stay with me/

Yami smiled softly, and climbed into the bed. He embraced his hikari, and held him tightly. He moved, but felt something poke into his back. He moved again, and again he felt something poke his back. He moved a final time, but was stabbed in the back painfully. Finally he sat up, and saw that he was lying on top of the Dark Magician plushie. The staff was what had been poking into his back.

"Ra, that staff hurts!" Yami said as he rubbed his back. Yugi just giggled, as he pulled the plush toy in his arm.

"Looks like DM doesn't like you lying on him."

"What's worse, is that the thing looks happy that it hurt me," Yami said, looking at the doll warily. Yugi looked at the toy, and sure enough, the doll had a smug look on his face.

"That'd teach you to lie on top of my doll," the smaller said, as he poked Yami in the ribs. "Mahado wouldn't be happy if he knew you were lying on a figure of him."

Yami just stuck his tongue out. Yugi repeated the action, and was surprised when Yami quickly pulled him into a kiss. When they pulled apart, Yugi glared at him. "You meanie! You planned that!"

Yami smirked, making Yugi glare at him more. The hikari lightly bopped his dark on the head with the stuffed toy, making Yami hang his head in shame. Yugi smiled and kissed his lover's cheek. He then lay on his back on top of the spirit, and turned his head upside down and looked up. Yami stared down at him, and started to stroke Yugi's hair. The boy's amethyst eyes drooped slightly, and he let out a content sigh. "What time is it?" he asked.

"It's two thirty in the afternoon. You have plenty of time to sleep."

/But I'm not tired./ Yugi said through their link, while yawning. Yami just smirked, causing Yugi to glare again at the spirit. The boy lifted the Dark Magician plushie again, making Yami cover his head in fright. Yugi laughed at the sight, then closed his eyes. He lightly hummed the tune to Mizu no Akashi (1) as Yami continued to stroke his hair. A bit into the song, Yugi's voice started to die down, till finally it faded away, as once again, Yugi fell into a peaceful slumber.

Yami once again watched his light sleep, letting his dark ruby eyes travel over his lover's form. Yugi's voice remained in his mind, the soft and gentle tune playing over and over. The more he though of it, the more beautiful it became. Everything else was blocked out, till all he could hear was the haunting melody of Yugi's singing. The spirit traced a finger softly down Yugi's cheek, marveling at the softness of it. ((How can someone be so beautiful? He must really be an angel.)) Yami thought as he continued to gaze at the sleeping boy. ((I can't believe he chose me. It's like a wonderful dream, and I never want to wake up. Yugi's just so perfect.)) "Yugi, my aibou, the light who saved me from the dark, I love you, and I promise to protect you till the end of time," the Pharaoh whispered to his lover, before following Yugi into the land of dreams.

It was a little after five thirty when Yugi woke again. He looked around, a little confused as to where he was. When he figured it out, he relaxed. He closed his eyes again, letting everything flow back to him. He remembered everything, from the day they arrived at the hotel, to a few hours ago. Memories of the snowball fight he and Yami had, the first kiss they shared, the punches, his date with Kyoji, his dreams, the lake he found, the girl he met, the hospital he woke up in, the doctors and nurses; everything came back to him. The one thing he knew he'd never be able to forget was the way Yami's eyes had looked when he woke up. The fear in his scarlet eyes was so different from the usual calm and collected look. The spirit had been so afraid, and it was all because of him. Yugi would always feel guilty about causing his lover such fear and pain.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Yami shift under him. He opened his eyes and looked up, but upon finding the only thing he could see was the ceiling and the top of Yami's hair, he turned around and lay on his stomach, his body covering the Pharaoh's. His movements woke Yami from his sleep, and the spirit's eyes fluttered open and locked with Yugi's. The two smiled at each other, love flowing through them. Yami embraced Yugi tightly, kissing him deeply. When he pulled away, Yugi had a goofy smile on his face, his amethyst eyes fogged over in pleasure. The Pharaoh chuckled, and nipped his aibou's bottom lip lightly, drawing a light moan from the boy. /Are you feeling better now, aibou/ Yami asked.

/Yes. I'm feeling much better./

/I'm glad./ Yami said as he pulled his light into another kiss. The spirit feverishly pressed his lips against Yugi's, his tongue slipping into the soft, warm mouth. His tongue plundered the boy's cavern, exploring every part of the mouth. Yugi's tongue came up and caressed his, sending shivers down his spine. He nibbled on Yugi's tongue, causing mewls of pleasure to come from the boy. Yami fought to keep his own moans down, as he continued to pleasure his light. The Pharaoh ravished the smaller boy's mouth, savoring the sweet, exotic taste of his lover.

The two tongues battled against each other, twisting and caressing with each touch. Twin moans of pleasure filled the room, as the boys continued their kiss. Hands snaked through Yami's hair, as Yugi shivered when he felt fingers trail down his sides. They became light headed from the heat of their kiss, and from lack of oxygen. They broke apart reluctantly, and suddenly Yugi found himself lying underneath Yami. He looked into Yami's eyes, and found himself trapped by the ruby orbs full of love, lust, and pure passion. His eyes shut when Yami came back down and nibbled at his bottom lip again. He trailed his hands through Yami's silky hair, gasping as he felt the spirit's fingers slip under his shirt and caress his stomach.

Yami ran his fingers over Yugi's stomach, feeling the muscles ripple under his touch. He dragged them across Yugi's chest, bringing another moan from his light. He pushed the shirt up, exposing his light's creamy white chest. One finger gingerly ran up the boy's chest, just missing his nipple. Yugi gasped loudly, then moaned in pleasure. Yami turned his lust clouded eyes to his love, and moaned lightly. His light looked so desirable there, so perfect and beautiful, his cheeks reddened from his passion. The Pharaoh nuzzled his cheek against Yugi's, and licked the boy's lips.

He was about to start another kiss when the ringing of the phone cut through the sensual atmosphere like a knife. The boys were roughly pulled from their pleasure, panting heavily as they tried to return to their normal states. Yugi blushed fiercely, realizing what had been going on. Embarrassment all over his face, he pulled his shirt down quickly. Yami was just glaring at the phone, wishing the person on the other Iine would die and burn in hell. Angrily he picked up the phone. "Yes?" he barked.

"Excuse me, is this Yami Mouto?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"I am calling from the hospital concerning Yugi Mouto."

All Yami's anger vanished in a flash, replaced by fear and confusion, but mostly fear. Why was the hospital calling? Was there something wrong? Did the doctors find something bad? Yugi had just gotten out, so why were they calling again? "W-what is it?" Yami said, stuttering slightly, making Yugi look at him confusedly.

"I am just calling to inform you that the doctor has said he should take one Advil everyday until he can walk normally. Also that he must keep warm at all times to prevent him from becoming sick," said the person on the other side.

"O-ok. I understand," Yami said, his voice still shaking as he got over his former shock. "Thank you." Yami then hung up the phone and sat there, staring at the machine with a blank look on his face. He could feel his heart racing, fear still running through him.

"Yami?" he heard Yugi call. He turned to look at his light, his face still holding no emotions to reveal his terror. "What's wrong?"

Yami didn't answer him, but embraced Yugi tightly, holding him close to make sure that Yugi wouldn't be taken away. His bottom lip started to tremble, and soon his whole body was shaking. He held Yugi tighter, trying to keep himself together the only way he knew how; by holding his love. He tried to stop his shaking, but it was no use. Just the thought of Yugi being taken away again was enough to make him break down. He bit his lip to try and keep himself together, but it didn't help either.

"Yami?" Yugi called again. He was becoming worried. Yami was just holding him, his body trembling violently. He hadn't said anything since he hung up the phone. The phone call was what had brought this state on, and Yugi was curious as to what the person on the other line had told his yami. He was also angry; how DARE that person cause Yami such pain! He would never forgive them for making his dark half like this. Yugi shook his head; now was not the time to think of that. He had to calm Yami down.

"Yami? What's wrong?" he questioned. When Yami didn't give him an answer, he tried to get out of the hug to have a better look at the spirit's face. Though when he tried to move, he was pulled even closer to the trembling body lying on top of him. Yami let out a fearful sounding whimper, and buried his face in Yugi's hair. "Yami? What's the matter?"

Again Yami stayed silent, and finally Yugi had had enough. He grabbed Yami's face and lifted it up, and gasped in surprise when he looked into scared crimson orbs. Confusion and worry filled his own as he stared deeply into the Pharaoh's eyes. The younger boy lifted his hand, and gently placed it on the other's cheek. "What's wrong, love?" Yugi asked quietly.

Yami just stared back at his aibou, fear and sadness still flowing through him. He was scared, completely and fully scared. When he answered the phone, he felt as if his world had shattered. He never wanted to think of Yugi in the hospital ever again. He just wanted to forget everything that had happened to his hikari. But just looking at the boy brought back those memories. It was just too much. /Yami, please answer me/ he heard his aibou plead. But the Pharaoh was too afraid to speak. He was afraid that if he tried to talk, he would break down completely.

Yugi was starting to become afraid. Wasn't there any way for him to get his yami to calm down? Suddenly, he got an idea. It was worth a shot, after all. He crawled out of the embrace, drawing another scared whimper from the boy. He sat up, and placed Yami's head on his chest, gently running his fingers through the spiked hair, whispering calming words to the spirit. He then started to hum the tune to Mizu no Akashi again, the slow, peaceful melody reverberating off the walls, surrounding the two.

Yami's breath caught in his throat when he heard Yugi's soft voice. It was even more beautiful than last time, laced with comfort, love, and desperation. He slowly started to calm, the music trapping him in a dream like state. Small fingers gently ran through his hair, removing his fear and sadness. Yugi's voice was soothing his soul, and he closed his eyes, letting the music flow through him. Love was flooding through their link from the other boy, and Yami felt safe. Everything would be all right if only he could stay forever in Yugi's arms.

By the end of the song, Yami had stilled his quivering. He lay quietly in his hikari's arms, listening to the beating of the other teen's heart. His breaths came out slowly, his own heart slowing down to match his lover's. Yugi's fingers were still traveling through his hair, twirling around the silky locks. The Pharaoh opened his eyes slightly, but just stared at the wall across the room, not focusing his gaze on anything. He then felt the fingers slip from his hair and run down his cheek gently. This caused the spirit to look up and into his aibou's sparkling violet eyes.

Yugi smiled lovingly at his dark. He was glad that his idea had worked, and now the other boy seemed to be better, if only a little. His fingers traced the spirit's jaw line, and came back up to outline the other's lips. Yugi frowned a little upon noticing that his lips were reddened and swollen from the biting. The fingers glided over the lips softly, pressing delicately against them. Yugi smiled when he felt Yami lightly push back. He looked into the spirit's ruby orbs, happily noticing that his lover seemed to be getting back to normal. He placed a small kiss on Yami's lips. "You ok?"

"……Yes," was the only answer he received, as Yami placed his head back down on his chest. The boy closed his eyes, and sighed heavily.

Yugi frowned again. He wanted to know what had caused his dark half to look so afraid. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked. But Yami shook his head; he didn't want to relieve that. He just sighed again, hoping that his aibou would drop the subject. Thankfully for him, Yugi did. Instead, he felt the fingers slide back up into his hair, resuming their stroking. They stayed like that for a bit, sitting in the silent room, listening to their quiet breathing.

Yugi watched his yami for a little while, noticing Yami's features relaxed after a while. The small teen smiled; maybe now everything would be better. Yugi moved his gaze to look outside the window. The sun had almost set, the sky splashed with a deep indigo, tinged with pink the color of a rose, with a reddish-orange glow. The stars were starting to come out in the part of the sky that had already turned a dark navy blue. The celestial bodies shone with such a brilliance they seemed like little suns themselves. The snow on the trees shimmered with the light, making the mountain light up. It was beautiful in Yugi's eyes. Then to make things even better, a gently snow started to fall, the flakes fluttering to the ground, blanketing the world in pure, pristine white.

Yugi smiled,as he gazed at the outside world. It was amazing to look at. "It's beautiful out there," he said quietly.

Yami just opened his eyes, though not moving any more. "Look," his aibou said. So the Pharaoh turned his head, his crimson eyes taking in the scene. Yugi was right, it was beautiful. Everything seemed so peaceful, so at ease, as if nothing could disturb it. He only wished everything in life was like that. Yami snuggled closer to Yugi's form, trying to get as close to his lover as possible.

Yugi smiled down at him, glad that the spirit was ok. He took Yami's hand in his, and gently tugged at it. "Come on," he said. The boy stood up, quickly followed by the other teen who was ready to catch him. Yugi stepped over the Dark Magician plushie that had been knocked to the floor, and led him to the window and stood there, leaning back into his yami's arms. The two lovers stared out at the world, watching as the snow fell down. Yugi turned around in Yami's arms and embraced the spirit. Yami embraced his back, holding him close. The two stared into each others eyes, enveloped in their love.

"Yami?"

"Yes, hikari?"

"Will you smile for me? I want to see you happy."

Yami smiled at his lover, but not because he was told to. Because he was so touched that the younger teen cared for him so much. "That's better," Yugi said, smiling back.

"I'm sorry, aibou. I shouldn't have reacted like that. I didn't mean to cause you worry."

"What did the person tell you?"

Yami smiled and shook his head, refusing to reveal the conversation. He was still unsure of everything that was going on. He just wanted to make sure that Yugi was never hurt again, but just thinking of him lying in the hospital, inches from death caused him so much sorrow. He hated to keep things from his little lover, but it was best to forget everything that had taken place.

Yugi pouted, put off by the fact that he was being left out. He really wanted to know. He pouted even further when Yami chuckled at his expression. "You are so adorable when you pout," the spirit said to him, making him glare at the other teen.

"I'm being serious!" Yugi retorted.

"Yea, but you are always too cute," Yami answered, chuckling when Yugi pouted even more. The boy was just the most adorable, lovable, precious thing in the world. There was no way he could stay in a bad mood around Yugi. His happy and carefree nature was infectious. The Pharaoh kissed the teen's forehead.

"If I didn't love you so much, I would so hate you," Yugi said, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"You'd never hate me. There is nothing about me to hate" Yami said with a smirk.

"I don't know about that. I hate how you brag after you win something. I hate when you trick me into doing something. I hate how you always get that smug little look on your face when you know you are right. I hate-"

"OK! I get it!" Yami said, covering Yugi's mouth. Yugi's eyes sparkled with victory.

/Besides, Bakura and Marik hate you. Not to mention Seto./

/You love holding that against me, don't you Yugi/

/Can you tell/ the amethyst eyed boy said, amusement in his voice.

"Why don't you all start an 'I Hate Yami' club, if you're all against me."

"Actually…"

"…You're joking right?"

"…"

"There isn't an 'I Hate Yami' club……is there?"

"…"

"Yugi!"

"…Well…"

"OH FOR RA'S SAKE!"

Yugi burst out laughing. He laughed even more at the indignant look on Yami's face. Yami glared at Yugi, making his light laugh even more. The spirit didn't see what was so funny. He wouldn't be laughing if someone just told him there was a hate club dedicated to him. But then again, no one in the world could possibly hate the other boy. That was more than impossible. It was unthinkable.

After a few minutes, Yugi started to calm down, holding his sides in pain. "Ah! It…hurts…but so…worth it," he said, still laughing. He looked up into Yami's eyes, seeing anger and hurt. "I'm sorry, love," Yugi said, smiling.

"You people are all so mean to me," Yami replied, turning his head away from the boy. Yugi tried to frown, but it was just so hard now that his face was stuck in a smile.

"Aww, I'm sorry, Yami. I didn't mean to laugh."

Yami pouted, not answering the boy. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?" Yugi said, using his puppy eyes. Yami looked up at the ceiling, positive that he wouldn't be able to see the boy. Yugi whimpered, sad that his love was ignoring him. He tugged on Yami's sleeve, but the Pharaoh continued to stare at the ceiling. He even tried a few sniffles and some fake tears, but the taller teen wouldn't look down. Finally Yugi decided to end it, and grabbed the other boy's face, pulling him down for a deep kiss.

Yami's eyes were opened wide in shock. He wasn't expecting that one. Then all thoughts slipped away as he closed his eyes and joined Yugi in the kiss. When they pulled away, Yugi had a victorious look on his face, and Yami was still stunned. "That'd teach you to ignore me," Yugi said.

Yami blinked a few times, still in shock. When he finally got past it, he smirked down at the boy in his arms. "You sneaky little devil. I never knew you had it in you."

Yugi's eyes shone with innocence, though a mischievous smirk was on his face. "Why, what ever do you mean?"

"Maybe I should jog your memory," Yami said as he started another kiss. Yugi kiss back with just as much ferocity. They broke the kiss, and Yami latched on to Yugi's neck, nipping and sucking at the sweet tasting skin. Yugi moaned when Yami found a sensitive spot, sparks flashing behind his closed eyes. One of his hands slipped into Yami's hair, the other sliding down his back, making the spirit shiver and growl from pleasure.

Yugi gasped when he felt cool air hit his stomach, his shirt once again being pushed up, long fingers dragging across his flesh, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. Their bodies started to burn from their contact, the feeling of fire under their fingertips. It shot through their nerves, till their bodies were entirely engulfed in the heat brought on by their passion. Yugi shivered when the probing digits moved down his sides, moaning out Yami's name.

Yami growled in pleasure when his light's voice reached his ears. There was nothing more beautiful than the sound of Yugi's voice, especially when it was laced with pleasure and desire. Pleasure brought upon by him. His lips trailed up the smooth neck, tongue tickling the skin wherever it met. He brushed against the petal soft lips of his lover, heart fluttering when he felt the lips brush back. "Yami, I love you," he heard Yugi whisper.

Yami pulled back and looked into Yugi's eyes. The violet orbs were overflowing with passion and love, aimed directly for the spirit in front of him. The Pharaoh felt so much love for the boy at the moment, he felt as if he would burst. He wanted nothing more than to show Yugi the extent of his love, but only if Yugi would let him.

"Yugi, remember a few days ago, when we went for the walk?"

"Yes."

"You said you'd do me a favor, remember."

"Yes."

"Would you do me the favor, the honor…of letting me show how much I love you. I want to prove to you, with my body and soul, how much you mean to me. I want to give you the happiness you have given me ten times over. Will you give me the chance?"

Yugi's eyes welled up with tears of joy, as he embraced Yami. "I will give everything to you. My heart, my body, and my soul. Everything I am is yours."

"Are you sure? Do you really want to give me such a precious gift? Do you think I am worthy enough?"

"This is the greatest gift I can give you. You are the only one in the world who I would give myself to. My Yami."

"You have made me so happy. I have never loved someone so much. You have given me so much, and now you are giving me yourself. I promise to show you only pleasure, to show you all of my love."

"I love you, Yami."

"I love you too, Yugi." With that, Yami proceeded to show his love for Yugi, holding nothing back from the boy.

* * *

Star: OK! I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter! I know, I know. You are probably a little mad that I didn't put the lemon up for this chapter, but what can ya do? I'm sure you guys don't mind waiting another two or three weeks for the next chapter. Anyway, please review and stay tuned for chapter 26!

I hope you know I'm kidding. Do you really think I'd leave you guys here? Yea right! ON TO THE LEMON!

* * *

Yami gently kissed Yugi on the lips, not wanting to rush anything. He wanted Yugi's first time to be perfect. When Yugi's lips opened, he slipped his tongue in, lovingly caressing the insides of the warm mouth, stroking the other boy's tongue, savoring the wonderful taste. He ran his fingers down Yugi's back, causing more shivers to trail down his spine. He heard Yugi give out a shuddering gasp, and the smaller's body pressed against him, causing a groan to escape the older's lips.

Yugi's eyes fluttered shut, and he leaned into Yami's body more. He wanted to be as close to Yami as he could. His hands slid upwards into the other's hair, tangling in the silky tresses, and pulling the boy closer to deepen the kiss. He let out soft mewls, voicing his pleasure when Yami nibbled his tongue. He felt himself being pushed backwards, and hit the window. Despite the feelings he was receiving from Yami, this was not the most comfortable place to be in.

Yami, sensing his frustration, picked the boy up without breaking the kiss, and walked over to the bed. He placed the boy down, and straddled his hips. They parted for air and looked into each others eyes, their faces flushed and their breathing heavy. Yami smiled and stroked Yugi's cheek, receiving a contented sigh. "Yugi, would you really let me?"

"Of course. I'd never regret this."

Yami felt like crying for joy, but now was not the time. He leaned down and nuzzled their cheeks together, trailing his lips down till he reached Yugi's tender neck. He quickly removed the leather choker, revealing skin that he had yet to explore. He latched on to the creamy white flesh, and began to trail kisses across his neck. Yugi mewled and moaned in pleasure, tilting his head to give his dark more access. He started to squirm underneath the other teen, his body ablaze with emotions.

Yami ran his hands up and down Yugi's arms, causing goose bumps to rise up everywhere he touched. He then moved his hands to Yugi's sides, making another gasp come from the boy. He touched Yugi's chest lightly, fingers ghosting over sensitive nipples, a groan his reward. The spirit grabbed Yugi's shirt and slowly removed it, exposing the teen's chest completely. He took in every detail, admiring his light's perfection.

Yugi opened his eyes and saw his other half gazing at his body. He started to blush, and tensed up, worried that his dark would find him to be less than what he thought. Sensing his fear, Yami looked into Yugi's eyes and smiled. He then leaned back down and kissed Yugi again, removing all of his fears and insecurities. "Never think you are anything other than perfect," Yami said.

Yami then started a line of kisses down his aibou's jaw line, past his neck, and nibbled on his collarbone. Yugi moaned his dark's name, and gently bucked his hips against Yami's, making the spirit bite down on his skin. "Oh Yami!" he cried, pain and pleasure flooding through him. He could feel Yami smiling through the bite, and smiled himself. He closed his eyes, wanting to feel everything, wanting to loose himself in the paradise his lover was showing him. He felt the Pharaoh lick his way down to his chest, and his breath caught in his throat. "Yami…" he moaned.

Yami smiled again, kissing down one side of Yugi's chest and back up the other side. He purposely stayed away from Yugi's nipples, knowing that was where Yugi would want to be touched more. He felt his hikari buck his hips into him again, his want and need obvious through the leather pants. "Yami," came the breathless whisper. "More…" Yami smirked, and let his tongue pass over Yugi's left nub, making the other cry out.

The smaller boy saw stars behind his eyelids when he felt the heat and wetness pass over his nub. It felt so good. He whimpered in displeasure when the heat vanished, only to have it reappear on his neck. He felt the spirit kiss up his neck till he reached the boy's ear. "Patience, love. I want this to be special," he heard Yami whisper into his ear, the Pharaoh's warm breath sending sparks down his back. He felt a hand run up his stomach and felt fingers surround his right nipple, making him moan again.

"Oh Ra…more!" he said, grinding his hips against Yami's.

The spirit gave his own moan. It felt so good to feel Yugi under him. But right now he wanted to concentrate on giving Yugi as much pleasure as he could. He wanted to take the boy to Heaven and beyond. Beyond anything he had ever felt before. He wanted it to be special, something that Yugi would never forget. He felt his hikari's body tremble in pleasure. A sense of pride came over him. He was so happy that Yugi chose him.

Yugi tugged on Yami's shirt, angry that the thing was keeping him and Yami separated. Yami chuckled and took off his shirt, shivering when Yugi's hands covered it, exploring the well built chest, traveling over the tanned, firm skin. He lay down on top of Yugi, their chests touching, bare skin on bare skin. The heat and friction causing them to grow in their want. They caressed each other, hands traveling down backs, fingers ghosting up sides, fire sparking with each touch. They held hands while they listened to their heartbeats. They felt them through their chests, both beating together, for one another.

The ancient ruler then suckled on Yugi's ear lobe, making the other teen to mewl in pleasure. His fingers played with Yugi's nub, making it harden under his touch. Yugi cried out again when they squeezed it hard. Yami enclosed his lips with his hikari's, silencing the scream. Their tongues started another battle, fighting for dominance. Yugi gladly forfeited, letting Yami explore at will. He had never felt so good. He groaned in disappointment when Yami broke the kiss. His disappointment was short lived though, as he felt Yami's mouth engulf his left nipple, the right one still being toyed with by Yami's hand. "Oh gods! So good!" he cried out loudly, his body going weak.

The crimson eyed king nipped, sucked, and licked the small bud, making it turn red. When he was satisfied with his work, he switched, this time taking the right nub in his mouth while toying with the left one, his fingers roughly pressing against it. Yugi cried out again, jolts of pleasure continuously shooting down his spine and igniting his body. He moaned loudly, grinding his hips into the spirit's, receiving a groan from his lover. Yugi's eyes shot open when he felt fingers slide down his legs, tracing patterns down his thighs. They were so close to touching him, if only they would move a little more.

Yami removed his mouth from Yugi's chest, leaving a few butterfly kisses as he returned to the boy's lips. They were a deep red, swollen from the kissing, but still soft as a feather. The Pharaoh sucked lightly on them, a pleased moan escaping them as Yugi opened his eyes. Crimson met violet, love and lust filling them both, growing when they saw their reflection in the others eyes. Then violet broke away, clouded over as the body shook with another scream. Crimson eyes clouded over as well, filling with more desire as they looked down upon their love's body.

Yugi's breath came out in hard pants, his mind in total shock. He only felt the fingers as they let go of him slowly, releasing his arousal which, was becoming painful. They then traveled back up his legs, and onto his chest where they started to rub small circles in his sides. The teen lay there, moans and gasps coming from his mouth as his spirit continued to pleasure him. He bucked his hips against the other's, only wanting one thing. He had had enough of the teasing. His own hands slid from Yami's hair and down his back, causing the Pharaoh to shiver. "Yami, please! Don't…tease!"

Yami complied with his aibou's demand, sliding his fingers back down till they rest at the zipper of the younger's pants. Slowly he pulled it down, his fingers grazing the side of the erection, bringing loud moans to his ears. Once he freed his aibou from the pants, he took off the boxers as well. He finally had Yugi fully revealed to him, no barrier in the way. His eyes once again traveled down Yugi's body, immensely happy that this angel was giving him this gift. His aibou was perfect. There was nothing else to be said.

He heard a whimper and looked up into the amethyst eyes he loved so much. They were clouded over with love and pure passion, though worry was starting to grow in them. Yami smiled, affection and tenderness aimed at the smaller boy. "You are so beautiful," the spirit said quietly. "You must really be an angel." Yugi just smiled back, swimming in the emotions he felt. Never in his life had he dreamed that he'd feel like this. Never had he known what true love felt like, until he met Yami. He owed the other everything.

Yami stood and removed his own pants and boxers. Yugi blushed darkly, his eyes traveling down Yami's body, taking him in. His blush darkened when Yami climbed back on the bed. The spirit smiled softly, caressing his light's cheek. He slowly lowered his body on to Yugi's, their bodies grinding on one another. The two lay there and embraced, their love showing in the purest form. Their bare bodies rubbed against each other, causing them to moan. They were engulfed in heat, sparks of electricity shooting through every nerve ending with every touch.

"I'll be right back," Yami said as he walked out of the room. He came back with a small bottle of body lotion. Yugi gulped, a little nervous. He really wanted to be good for Yami. He didn't want to make any mistakes. "It's ok. Just relax," Yami said as he sat between Yugi's legs. The teen took a deep breath and nodded. Yami spread Yugi's legs further, giving himself more room. The spirit spread the creamy lotion on his fingers, and gently slid them down Yugi's backside till they reached his private entrance. Yugi gasped when he felt outside his body, but soft kiss from Yami quieted him.

The Pharaoh slowly slipped one finger in, feeling the body tense around him. "Relax, love. It'll get better soon." Yugi nodded, feeling the finger probe and stretch him. It wasn't painful at all, just unusual and slightly uncomfortable. Soon though he got used to it. The finger was then joined by another, the two digits scissoring and widening him. Yugi squirmed, the feeling of discomfort coming back. When the third finger was added, he cried out slightly. It was now starting to hurt.

Yami kissed his cheek, trying to take his aibou's mind off of the pain. He hated hurting the boy, and was trying to be as gentle as he could. He continued to stretch the boy, when he hit a bundle of nerves that made Yugi cry out, stars in his eyes. "OH GODS!" he cried, and Yami smiled. He continued to hit that spot as he prepared his aibou, more screams and cries of pleasure reaching his ears.

Finally it was time. The spirit removed his fingers from the boy, chuckling at the sound of disappointment from the smaller boy. He coated his own erection with the lotion, and positioned himself at Yugi's entrance. He looked up into Yugi's eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. Finding nothing but love and happiness, he slowly pushed in.

Yugi gasped, the new object in him bringing a little more pain than the others. He raised his hips slightly, helping his lover to slide inside him easier. Finally Yami was inside him, buried deep within his aibou. The spirit's eyes rolled to the back of his head in pleasure, the intense heat from his light overpowering him. It was like nothing he had ever experienced. The Pharaoh stayed still, waiting till Yugi was ready.

After a bit, Yugi smiled at him and gently moved his hips against the spirit's. Yami smiled back, pulling almost completely out of the boy and sliding back in. Yugi gasped, feelings of pain and pleasure in his system. The older teen repeated his movements, sliding out and back in. He was trying to go slow for Yugi's sake, but the feeling of being inside the one he loved was wearing away at his self control. He felt himself slipping, but if he fell, he wanted to take Yugi with him.

Yugi gripped Yami's shoulders as the other sped up his movements. Suddenly, Yugi felt his entire body light up. He let out a loud moan, his prostate being hit once again. He felt Yami aim for it again, hitting it dead on. The boy saw stars again, letting out a scream, voicing his pleasure as loud as he could. He wrapped his legs around Yami's waist, drawing the Pharaoh closer. He bucked his hips, meeting Yami's thrusts. His length was rubbing against their stomachs, the friction adding to the teen's pleasure.

Yami's pace increased rapidly, loosing his control, the feeling of being inside Yugi's body, feeling his length being caressed by smooth velvet walls overpowering him. He felt himself reaching the edge, but would only fall over when Yugi did. But he knew he wouldn't be able to hold off for long, the feeling of Yugi's body surrounding his being too much. He moaned loudly himself when he heard another scream from his light.

The spirit grabbed Yugi's erection, pumping it with each thrust, causing more moans, gasps, and screams from the younger boy. He could feel Yugi start to tighten around him, and knew that he end would come soon. Yugi knew it too, and started to grind against the spirit more enthusiastically. He didn't want this time to end, not when he was the closest to Yami he had ever been. Not when his dream had finally come true. But if it had to end, then Yugi would make it a memorable ending.

The pressure in his stomach was building, and the smaller teen knew it would end quickly. He dug his nails into the Pharaoh's back, crying out his lovers name, as the other continued to pleasure him. Fireworks were going off behind his eyes, bright flashes of light surrounding his vision, as the pleasure increased dramatically near the end. Suddenly, with the loudest cry, Yugi let himself go. He released his essence into Yami's hand, eyes rolling to the back of his head, almost passing out from the ecstasy he experienced.

Yami felt the walls tighten around him, and a few seconds followed Yugi. With a loud cry of his own, he spilled himself into Yugi's limp body. He tried to hold himself up, but his arms gave way under him, and he fell on top of the smaller's body. They lay there, covered in sweat, surrounded by their love. They were panting heavily, and tried to calm down. After a while, Yami regained enough strength to slide out of Yugi's body. Though he would have preferred to stay in there forever.

Once out, he pulled his lover into an embrace, holding his little hikari close. Feelings of happiness passed through them, love being the strongest emotion in the room. The two lovers looked at each other, crimson and violet blending as they shared a light kiss.

"Thank you, Yami. For showing me true love."

"Oh Little One, I would do anything for you."

"I love you Yami. Till the end of time."

"I love you too, Yugi. Forever and a day."

The two smiled at each other, wrapped in their loving embrace, asthey wereguidedinto a gentle sleep.

* * *

(1) Mizu no Akashi: (translated) Token of Water. It's a very pretty,slow song from Gundam Seed. It's very soft and romantic, a perfect love song. It is sung by Lacus Clyne. Anyone who saw theepisode of Gundam Seed when Athrun went to the theater with pink Haro would know the song. Unfortunately, in that episode they sang the song in English, which **pales** in comparison to the original Japanese. If anyone wants to hear the original song, go to Dogpile, click audio, type in Mizu no Akashi and listen. The song is 4:27 long.

Star: Ok, THIS is the real ending. I hope none of you are too mad with that little joke. I am hyper, what can I say? You ever have those days were anything and everything makes you laugh? Were you are talking with your friends and suddenly the conversation turns to how people would think you were insane if you walked up to them and said, "I am reaching out to you with my mind." Were you think you have done something and suddenly find out you didn't, and you wonder how could you have not done it when it was important to do it. Even though others remember you doing it, all you can draw is a big blank. Then your excuse is, "I O.D'd on Advil last night."

Well that was my day today. Fun, huh? But anyway, I hope you all liked the lemon. XD! I am sad to say this, but there will probably be three or four chapters left. I am so sad to see this end:sobs uncontrollably:

But I'm just ranting. Please review! I can't wait to hear from you!

(p.s. HA! I TRICKED YOU INTO THINKING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE THE LEMON TWICE! HAHAHA:cough: Sorry, I'm still hyper)


	26. Forever till the End

Star: OMG:gets on hands and knees: PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I didn't mean to go so long without updating! I started this chapter in the beginning of January, but I had school, and sports, and then I ran out of ideas, and when I finally got my ideas back, I was too lazy to write this. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I SWEAR I WILL NEVER GO 4 MONTHS WITHOUT UPDATING EVER AGAIN!

Anyway, I'm glad that you guys have stuck with me through ever single chapter. I am very honored that you think I am a good writer. I want to thank every single one of you who has read and/or reviewed my story. You are the reason that I keep writing, because your reviews make my day perfect. I never dreamed that I would get more than 100 reviews for this story, but now I almost have 700! I can't believe it! THANK YOU!

But one thing I must ask, please don't send me extra reviews demanding that I update soon. I really work hard to get these chapters out soon, so please don't send extra reviews for chapter 1 or another chapter saying: 'Why haven't you updated yet?' or 'Hurry up with the next chapter!' If you want to say that, please say it in the first review for the new chapter. I actually find those funny.

**This chapter is dedicated to Craig and Leigh! THANK YOU BOTH!**

Disclaimer: Roses are red. Violets are blue. I don't own Yugioh, so you can't do anything about it you lame lawyers! HAHA! Who's the loser now?

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

((((Forever till the End))))

The sun shone into the suite, lighting everything, and making the room glow. The light reached every spot, spilling over the furniture, creeping into every corner, removing the shadows, and everything that brings fear. It brightened everything, giving the suite a cheery appearance, giving anyone who stood inside a sense of peace and happiness.

Though the occupants of the suite didn't need the sun to bring them happiness. The two boys slept peacefully, arms entwined around each other. They continued to sleep, holding onto each other, a small smile on each of their faces. The smaller moved closer to the other, nuzzling his cheek into his lover's neck, a happy sigh escaping. In turn, the elder tightened his hold on the teen, drawing him closer. They slept on, ignoring everything else, basking in the love that surrounded them.

The light from outside slowly crept into the bedroom, sliding across the floor, rising over one bed, and finally reaching the second. The sun shone on the boys, the light reaching their eyes. The taller one stirred, and clenched his eyes shut tighter, trying to keep the brightness from him. It was no use, and a few seconds later, he parted his crimson eyes slowly, letting them get used to the daylight.

He yawned, and blinked a few times, trying to wake up completely. He could feel sleep trying to take him back into it's arms, and shook his head lightly. His movements caused the still sleeping teen in his arms to stir lightly. The spirit looked down, a joyful smile taking it's place on his lips. He hugged his small hikari tightly, holding him as close as possible. He tenderly kissed the other's forehead, and buried his face in the boy's hair, sighing in bliss.

He pulled back, and gazed lovingly at his aibou. He brushed the blonde bangs out of the boy's face, caressing his soft cheeks. His thumb traced the outline of the other's lips, smiling when he heard the other moan lightly. He placed light kisses on the boy's cheek and on his ruby lips. ((Pretty aibou. Beautiful hikari. My Yugi, my tenshi. I love you so much, more than you'll ever know. You are so precious, so wonderful, and I am so blessed to have you in my life. Yugi, my love. So adorable, so gorgeous, all mine. Mine forever.))

The Pharaoh started to stroke Yugi's sides slowly, causing the teen to shiver. Yugi moaned lightly, then cracked his eyes open. He looked up at his dark side through half lidded eyes, and smiled at him. He leaned up and brushed his lips on the other's. "Yami…" he whispered.

"You should go back to sleep, Little One," Yami said, still stroking Yugi's sides. Yugi didn't reply, but smiled at him again, then closed his eyes. He squirmed when he felt the fingers ghosting up his sides, and giggled lightly. He giggled more when the fingers started dancing across his back and stomach.

"Yami, stop," he said through giggles.

"But you're so cute when you laugh," Yami said as he continued to tickle his aibou. Yugi laughed some more, and grabbed Yami's hands. He held them tightly, kissing them. Yugi looked up, his amethyst eyes shining with happiness, and love. Yami pulled him close, and kissed him, nibbling on Yugi's bottom lip, drawing a moan of pleasure from the smaller. They broke the kiss, and stared into each other's eyes.

Yugi nuzzled his cheek against Yami's, cuddling closer to his dark half. "Love you, Yami."

"Love you too," the spirit replied.

Yugi placed a light kiss on Yami's cheek, then started to sit up. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his back, and cried out. He lay back down and bit his lip, his eyes closed in pain. As soon as he cried out, Yami wrapped his arms around him, holding him close.

"Yugi, what's wrong!"

Yugi cracked open one eye, and smiled. "I'm fine. My back is sore…from…well…last night," he replied, a blush staining his cheeks.

Yami's eyes widened when he heard that. "Oh gods, Yugi! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I shouldn't have done it! I wasn't thinking! I should have been more careful, I should have been more gentle! I should-"

Yugi placed a finger on his lips, silencing Yami, as the smaller smiled up at him. "It's ok. I don't care."

"But I still hurt you! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done it! You were already hurt, and I've probably made it worse! I am so, so sorry. Please don't hate me!"

"Yami!" Yugi said, pinching the spirit's cheek to get him to stop talking. "I don't hate you, you baka. Sure, you can be annoying, and aggravating. Your ego is a bit big. You can be selfish, and self centered sometimes, and you are such a whiny little baby."

"Um…Yugi, where are you going with this?" asked Yami, his cheek still being pinched by his lover.

"I'm trying to say, that even though you can be all those things, I could never hate you. In fact, those things are part of the reason I love you so much. So stop worrying so much. You look so pathetic when you are begging for forgiveness," Yugi said with a laugh.

"So you don't hate me?" Yami asked.

"Yes Yami. I hate you," Yugi said, sarcasm dripping off his voice. "I can't stand to look at you," he said, staring deep into Yami's eyes. "I hate holding you," Yugi said as he gave his dark half a hug. "And I completely and utterly despise kissing you," he said as he pulled Yami in for a long, passionate kiss.

They finally pulled away, breaking the kiss only because they ran out of air. "Could you repeat that last part? I didn't quite catch it," Yami said with a smirk.

Yugi playfully stuck his tongue out, then cuddled into Yami's embrace. "You're a loser, you know that," he said, letting his eyes slide shut.

"You're just saying that because you love me."

"No, I'm saying it because you really are a loser," Yugi said, giggling when Yami pouted. The spirit flicked Yugi's ear, making him glare at the taller one. "That hurt."

"You called me a loser."

"But it's true. Bakura and Marik would agree."

"That's because they have it in for me."

"It doesn't change the fact that you are a loser."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"ARE TOO!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE NOT!"

"AM TOO! Wait…damn!"

Yugi laughed at Yami's mistake. "I'm so glad you agree with me."

"No fair! You tricked me!"

"You were enough of a loser to fall for it," Yugi said, a smug smirk on his face.

"Yea well…it takes one to know one!"

Yugi doubled over in laughter. "Is that the best comeback you can think of? That was lamer than lame!"

Yami just glared at his laughing aibou, trying to think of a way to get revenge. Unfortunately for the spirit, nothing came to mind. He growled in aggravation, and cursed his brain for failing to come up with anything. He decided to just wing it. "Hikari, if I'm such a loser, why do you love me?"

Yugi stopped laughing, and bit his lip, trying to think of an answer. "I don't know."

"So, if I'm a loser, that means you are too good for me."

"I never said-"

"No, no. You made it very clear. I'm a loser, so that means I'm not good enough. Which means I'm not good enough to kiss you," continued Yami.

"Now I definitely didn't say-"

"But you did. I'm a loser, which means I can't kiss you anymore."

"That's not-" Yugi started to say, but was cut off as Yami kissed him, slipping his tongue into his mouth, overpowering the smaller one. Yami then pulled back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Yugi just stared blankly at him, his mind fogged over with pleasure.

"Also, if I'm a loser," Yami continued, "that means I'm not good enough to hold you," he said as he rolled on top of Yugi and drew him into a hug.

Yugi still stared at him as his thoughts came back to him. "…huh?"

"I'm such a loser, huh?" the spirit asked, a smirk on his lips. "In fact, forget about holding you. I'm not good enough to touch you," he said as he ran his fingers up and down Yugi's sides, enjoying the shivers that coursed through the body of his hikari. The Pharaoh then moved his hands lower, grinding his palms roughly into Yugi's inner thighs. Yugi gasped then moaned, his hips bucking up slightly.

"Yep, I'm the world's biggest loser," Yami said, before nibbling on Yugi's neck, his hands still kneading Yugi's legs. The smaller gasped again, his eyes flickering shut as waves of pleasure coursed through his body. His hips bucked again, grinding his lower body into his darker half's, making the spirit groan and bite down on Yugi's neck. Yugi cried out, pain and pleasure mixing, making his body light up.

"Yami! Gods…Yami," said the smaller through pants.

"What is it aibou? Don't tell me you are enjoying this. After all, I'm nothing but a loser," Yami said, silently cheering at his victory.

"No…not…"

"Not what? Am I not a loser?"

"No…gods no," Yugi said, his breathing harsh and fast.

"But you said I was," Yami said, stilling his movements, bringing a cry of disappointment from his light.

"No…not a…Ra…don't…stop."

"So I'm not a loser."

"Nooo," Yugi moaned out, pressing his hips harshly against Yami's, hoping the other teen would start kissing and caressing him again. Yami chuckled at his antics, enjoying the feeling of victory. He went back to nibbling on Yugi's neck, loving the moan that escaped the boy. The Pharaoh felt his hikari move under him, one leg rubbing against his own. Yami felt Yugi shift again, the smaller spreading his legs, when he suddenly stopped and cried in pain.

"Yugi, what happened?" Yami said, lifting off of his aibou quickly.

"It still hurts," the amethyst eyed boy replied, his body laying still as he waited for the pain to disappear.

"I'm sorry, love. I really didn't mean to hurt you," the spirit said, his eyes clouding over in sadness.

"It's ok. I know you didn't mean to. I would tell you not to feel guilty, but it is kind of your fault," Yugi said with a smirk.

The Pharaoh smiled at him, and nuzzled his cheek. "You need to rest, aibou. It will stop hurting soon."

"Ryou said a hot bath always helps."

"……Yugi, why did Ryou tell you that?"

"Well…it was actually Bakura."

"Yugi, why was Bakura talking to you about what to do after sex?"

"…"

"Don't you go silent on me. What has Bakura been saying to you?"

"Um…"

"I knew it! He was trying to corrupt you! Next time I see him, he's dead!"

"Wouldn't that be-"

"Let's not go into technicalities now, aibou. I'll bring him back to life, then kill him again."

"Yami, I don't care what I said before, you are still a loser," Yugi said as he pulled Yami close to him, resting his head on Yami's chest. "But either way, a hot bath does sound really good now."

"But it's so warm here, and I don't want to leave," Yami said, pulling Yugi closer. Suddenly he noticed that Yugi's body was shaking lightly. "Yugi, what's wrong?"

"I don't think it's warm enough," Yugi said as he tried to still his shaking. "I'm freezing."

"I'll go fill the tub. You stay under the covers," the spirit said, climbing out of the bed. He smiled when he saw Yugi's face turn deep red, burying his face in the pillow to hide his blush. Yami wrapped the blankets around his aibou, then kissed him on the forehead, and walked into the bathroom.

A few minutes later he came back, only to find that his hikari's trembling had gotten worse. Even though he was covered by three heavy blankets, he still seemed to be cold. Yami frowned, and picked him up, carrying him to the bathroom, where he placed his aibou in the warm water.

"That feels really good," Yugi said with a blissful sigh. He felt Yami climb in behind him, and leaned his back against the other's chest, his head dropping backwards on the spirit's shoulder. The teen could feel his dark half's strong arms wrap around him, and he no longer felt cold.

"At least you've stopped shaking," Yami said, gently stroking Yugi's sides.

"That's cause you are holding me. Everything is perfect when you are around," Yugi said, closing his eyes, and relaxing against Yami's body.

"You are always perfect, no matter what," Yami said, kissing his aibou's cheek lightly.

Yugi blushed lightly, and smiled. He nuzzled his nose into the spirit's neck, and held one of his hands, interlocking their fingers. The smaller sighed happily, the fingers on his other hand running up and down Yami's arm. He felt sleep creep up on him, the warmth from the bath, and the wonderful feeling of being in Yami's arms sending him into a blissful peace. He moaned lightly as he let himself fall into the amazing feelings.

"Gods, Yugi. You are so beautiful. I don't know what I'd do without you. I can't picture my life without you, and I don't want to. My Yugi, my beautiful, perfect angel. Don't ever leave me."

"I would never dream of it," said Yugi as he opened his eyes, staring into the crimson orbs he loved so much. "You are mine, as I am yours. Forever. And nothing will change that. Nothing can ever take me from you. No one on this earth, no creature from the shadows, and not even death."

Yami's eyes clouded over as he heard the last statement. He frowned, then turned his head away. "Aibou, I'm…I'm so sorry," he said quietly.

"Yami, don't be. It wasn't your fault. It was mine."

"That's not true. I was the one who pushed you away. If I hadn't gotten so angry at you, none of this would have happened."

"Yami, it was not your fault. I put myself in danger, and you had nothing to do with it. I should have known better, but I wasn't thinking. Everything that happened was my fault. Don't place the blame on yourself."

"I can't help it! I almost lost you. I…I can't live without you, and…that night showed me just how easily you can be taken from me. I was so scared that you'd never wake up, that I'd never get to hold you ever again. That I'd never tell you how I felt," the spirit said as he tightened his hold on the smaller, as if fearing he would disappear in the next second.

"Yami, please don't-"

"The whole time you were in the hospital, I kept asking myself 'How could you do this to him? How could you let him down?' I was going crazy. I felt so much guilt, felt so much anger and hatred at myself for putting you in that position. I wanted to scream!"

Yugi didn't say a word, but sat there, stroking Yami's arm in a comforting motion. He snuggled closer to the Pharaoh's body, nuzzling his cheek into the taller's neck. The boy hated to see his lover in such a state. It broke his heart when he looked at the spirit, feeling the other's pain through the link.

"I kept yelling at myself, berating myself for everything. 'This is your fault. You failed him, and he's in here because you didn't protect him.' Those thoughts were constantly in my head. Every time I looked at you, they grew louder. I didn't want to listen, but they wouldn't stop," Yami continued, small tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "It hurt so much, knowing that I was the one who did it to you."

"Yami, listen to me!" Yugi said, finally having enough. He turned around and grabbed Yami's face, pulling it towards him, forcing the teary crimson eyes to look into his own. "It was NOT your fault! Stop saying it was! _I_ was the one that told you about the offer. _I_ was the one that ran out. _I_ was the one who went into the forest, and _I_ was the one who went out on the lake. NOT you! You had nothing to do with it, so stop placing the blame on yourself!"

"But-"

"NO BUTS!" Yugi yelled. Then he smiled softly; love, adoration, and happiness shining in his eyes. "Yami, you didn't _hurt_ me, you _saved_ me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here now. You saved my life. Again. You protected me, brought me back from the edge of death, and helped me learn to walk again. You have brought me so much joy. You have made me so happy. I never thought it would be possible to be this happy. You give me so much, and I feel so undeserving of the love you have for me."

"But you do deserve it! You deserve the world, and I will give you everything I have, everything I am, if it makes you happy."

Yugi smiled and shook his head. "Yami, I don't want the world. I don't want anything other than you. I could care less about the rest of the world." The smaller then placed his forehead on the spirit's, wrapping his arms around Yami's neck. "I want you to be happy. That is the only way that I will be happy. Seeing you like this breaks my heart. I want to see you smile, to hear you laugh, to see you be happy. I know it's a lot to ask, but please forget what happened that night. Forget everything except the fact that I love you, and that I will always be with you."

Yami closed his eyes, sighing as he relaxed into his hikari's hold. "For you, I will try. But I know I never will. I just can't forget seeing you lying there, so vulnerable, surrounded by those massive machines. But I will try, to make you happy."

Yugi kissed his love's forehead, gently wiping away the small tears that had escaped Yami's crimson eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss the spirit. His fingers slid through his dark half's hair, drawing the other deeper into the kiss. The teen felt Yami's grip on him tighten, pulling him closer, their bodies pressed flush against each other. Yugi shivered when he felt Yami's fingers graze up his back, tracing small patters in his skin. He moaned lightly, his back arching up, rubbing his body into Yami's, causing them both to groan in pleasure.

They broke away from the kiss, breathing a little harder than before. They stared into each other's eyes, not having to say anything to feel their love. They lay there in the silence, enjoying the feeling of being with each other. Yugi placed his head on Yami's shoulder, cuddling into the spirit's body. He shivered again when the fingers slid from his back to his sides. Yugi felt goose bumps appear on his skin, the tingling feeling from the fingers the reason. He moaned, and started to squirm about.

Yami watched him with a smile. He ran his fingers down his light's side again, the smile on his face growing when he heard the soft whimpers coming from the smaller in his arms. The Pharaoh loved the feeling of holding Yugi in his arms. He loved hearing his aibou voice his pleasure, pleasure that he brought. He loved making his light happy, loved being the one who brought a smile upon the smaller's angelic face. It gave him a sense of pride, a sense of being the best, the only one who could make Yugi smile in such a way. He felt his hikari tremble again, and he was filled with so much happiness.

Yugi felt a chill wash over his body, the soft caresses from his dark half's fingers causing goose bumps to rise whenever they touched him, sending shivers down his spine. He trembled, and moaned again, cold air attacking his body when the fingers moved on. His body was consumed with both fire and ice, playing inside him, crashing together and sending wave after wave of indescribable pleasure, burning his skin while freezing him to the bone. Another tremor rocked his body, a sharp gasp coming from his lips as he was consumed by sensations beyond his imagination.

Slowly though, the heat died away, leaving an icy feel in his body. Cold air, and cooling water, mixed with the touches from Yami, were making him feel numb all over. His body once more shook, yet somehow this was different than before. The warmth that had once flowed through him was being replaced, taken over by cold. He felt another shiver coming, yet this was no longer accompanied by heat. It felt like pure ice, like his body was being frozen. Yet at the same time, his skin felt like it was on fire, starting to sweat lightly as his body overheated and froze all at once.

Yugi's body started to shake lightly, and he tightened his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. His vision started to become blurry, an unknown source of heat making him dizzy. He was starting to sweat more, his body feeling like it was surrounded by flames, nipping at his skin, burning him. His insides, though, felt completely frozen, like they had been turned into ice. It felt like a war was going on in his body, the fire and ice from before now battling to take control, neither gaining the upper hand, both inflicting damage to him. There was only one reason why he felt that way, and it was simple. He was sick. He knew it, and he sensed that Yami knew it too.

Yami had sensed it from the beginning. He knew it the second it began. When he felt the difference of Yugi's shaking, going from that of pleasure to that of pain, he knew it. He stopped caressing his light's sides, knowing that the tingling feeling would only cause his light's body to react worse. Instead the spirit held his aibou tightly, pulling him as close as possible, trying to keep the smaller warm. He frowned when he felt the shivers continue, growing stronger instead of dying down as he had hoped. He knew he had to get his love back in bed quickly, or else the sickness would only grow worse.

Yami gently shifted, moving slowly so that Yugi's body could accustom itself to any new changes in temperature. He reached over the edge of the bath tub, grabbing a large towel. Slowly he lifted himself up, cradling Yugi in his arms, placing the boy down on the edge of the tub, and immediately wrapping him in the towel. The Pharaoh gently, but quickly, dried his light, preventing his wet body from becoming more chilled by the sudden burst of air. He then took a larger towel, and wrapped it around himself, and Yugi, enveloping them both. The spirit picked the smaller up, smiling slightly when he felt the shivers go down. "Feeling a little better?" he asked as he walked into the bedroom, depositing his small lover on the bed, covering him with the blanket.

"A little. Still cold…but not so much," Yugi said, teeth chattering as new waves of the icy feeling washed over him. He curled up in a ball, eyes closed tightly, pulling the blankets around him as tightly as he could. Though that didn't make him feel any better. It just made him ever hotter, his body becoming damp again as sweat formed. He whimpered and pushed the covers off of him, exposing his naked body to the cold air.

Yami pushed the blankets back on the teen, only to have them pushed off again. The Pharaoh sighed, pulling them over the smaller's body again. Yugi though, didn't want the heat, and threw them off the bed, the blankets falling to the floor with a soft thud. He soon found that it wasn't a smart move, his body shaking fiercely, his skin turning numb from the cold he felt. And suddenly the cold was gone, replaced with the unbearable heat that he had just gotten rid of. Yugi groaned, hating the heat, but also hating the cold.

"I know you don't like the heat," Yami whispered into Yugi's ear, "but you need to keep warm if you hope to get better." Yugi just groaned again, curling up into a ball again. Yami sat down on the edge of the bed, watching him, one hand wiping the boy's sweat dampened brow. The spirit then stood, walking over to the dresser, and pulling out two pairs of pajamas. He walked back to the bed, and slowly pulled the covers off of his light, exposing the boy's chest. "You need to dress warmly," Yami said.

Yugi whimpered when the heat disappeared, curling up tighter, trying to keep the cold air from touching his body. He then felt two strong, warm arms wrap around his waist, providing him with heat. He let the spirit dress him, being too weak, and tired to do anything himself. He lay on the bed, feeling he slight tug of the shirt as it was buttoned. He cracked open an eye, searching through his hazy sight for Yami. He spotted the Pharaoh's blurry form, and whimpered again to get his attention. Yugi felt a hand gently stroke his cheek, soothing him slightly, making him forget for a moment the situation he was in.

Yami then proceeded to dress his light's lower body. He quickly, but gently, pulled the pajama pants on his hikari, being careful not to hurt the boy. When he was finished, he dressed himself. The spirit then sat on the bed next to his aibou, stroking the smaller's cheek. He felt Yugi's forehead for a few seconds, then pulled away, and said, " I think you have a fever. I'm going to get the thermometer."

Yugi frowned, grabbing Yami's hand to keep his dark half with him. The spirit smiled softly, sending comfort through their link. "I'll be right back," Yami said, letting his hand slide from the other's grip slowly. He made sure his light was covered in the blanket before walking out. Yugi watched him leave through half open eyes. He sneezed, then groaned in annoyance, closing his eyes as he wrapped the blankets around himself. Despite the searing heat that he felt on the outside, he was still freezing inside, and he hated the cold more than anything. He also knew that to get better he had to stay warm, even though his skin felt like fire.

Somewhere in his mind, he wondered how he got sick. He figured that it was just an after effect of his brush with death. He shivered again, part from cold and part from fear. He knew he was being hypocritical, telling his other half to forget what happened, while he himself dwelled on the thought. Yet he couldn't forget; couldn't pretend that nothing happened, even though he was seconds away from dying. It was impossible to forget. The thought of him dying, his memories of the girl, and the fear and hopelessness he felt plagued him. It was obvious that he wouldn't forget, though he knew he should. If not for his sake, then for Yami's. The spirit had gone through so much already, and Yugi knew that just looking at him brought back memories.

(I wish I could change it. I wish I could make what happened disappear, and I want everything to go back to the way it was before. I don't want to see him hurt anymore. I don't want him to hate himself for what happened. But how can I make him happy, when I'm scared myself?) Yugi thought, sighing deeply as a wave of sadness washed over him. His body trembled again, and he growled in irritation. (The longer I am sick, the longer he's going to blame himself. I need to get better for him.)

Yugi heard Yami's footsteps coming closer, and sat up. If he couldn't get better fast enough, then he'd pretend he was better. He'd just pretend that nothing had happened, and that he was just a little cold. (It will work) he told himself, but a part of him knew that it wouldn't. Yami would not overlook this so easily, especially not after what had taken place. If anything, the crimson eyed spirit would be even more suspicious. It was not the first time Yugi had pretended to be fine to keep others from worrying.

He saw his lover walk in, and smiled at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but found that his throat hurt badly. It felt like it was on fire, though the rest of his body still felt like an icicle. He suddenly had the urge to cough, but he couldn't if he hoped to fool Yami. Instead he closed his mouth, and watched as the spirit walked up to him. Yugi just kept smiling, and pretending.

"Aibou, why are you sitting up? You should be resting," Yami said as he sat at the edge of the bed. He gently tugged on Yugi's shoulders, pulling the boy down. Yugi just shook his head, and leaned away. He was about to open his mouth to reply, but the burning feeling in his throat came back.

/I'm fine, Yami/ he said, hoping the other wouldn't ask him anything else. But of course, nothing worked out for him.

"Yugi, you should be under the covers. You won't get better if you let yourself be exposed to the cold air."

/I'm fine, really. I don't feel so bad anymore./

Yami just stared at him. He knew his light was lying, it was obvious. He didn't like it when Yugi lied about his safety, because it only worried him more. He knew the smaller was doing that to keep him happy, but it had the opposite effect. The spirit was glad that Yugi was so caring, but sometimes he could be too selfless. "Yugi, don't lie to me," he said seriously.

/I'm not lying/

"I know you are doing this to keep me from worrying, but stop. You will only make yourself worse."

"Yami, I'm-" but Yugi's reply was cut off, as he was taken over by a coughing fit. His body shook forcefully, his throat hurting badly, and tears forming in his eyes from the pain. He vaguely felt Yami's arms wrap around him, holding him till he stopped, but he couldn't concentrate on anything other than pain. Finally after a few minutes, the coughing slowly died down till it stopped. Yugi just sat there afterwards, feeling Yami gently rub his back.

"Are you ok now?" he heard Yami's whisper.

/Yes. But my throat still hurts./

"This is why you have to stay under the covers. If not, you won't get better." Yami then pulled him down, and piled the blankets on top of him, till only his head was showing. "I'll take your temperature now, then I'll get you some cough medicine."

Yugi nodded, too tired to respond even through their link. He felt the thermometer being pushed against his lips, and opened them. He tasted the cold glass against his tongue, and had the urge to spit it out. But he kept it in, sighing softly as he felt Yami caress his cheek. After three minutes, Yami pulled it out, looking at the red line with a frown. "It's 100," he said.

Yugi sighed again, closing his eyes. He hated being sick. It wasn't just the feeling like hell part, though that was a big reason. He hated having other people worry. Especially when it was over him. He hated being sick, hated it with a passion that nothing else could compare to. He shivered again and sneezed, cursing the cold and anything associated to it.

"Don't move," he heard Yami say. Then the weight lifted off the bed, and he heard footsteps retreating. He placed a hand over his eyes, and groaned. He heard it again. The sadness in Yami's voice, and he began to hate that too. Yugi wanted desperately to make that sadness go away, but the only way to do that was to get better.

(I will get better,) he thought with determination. (This time, I won't fake it. I will get better so that he can be happy.) He opened his eyes, and sat up slightly when Yami walked back in, the spirit holding a bottle, and a spoon in his hands. His eyes widened slightly, realizing that the Pharaoh wanted him to take the cough medicine. /Y-you're not really going to make me take that…are you/

"If you want to get better, then yes," Yami said as he sat next to his aibou.

/But I hate that stuff/

"But it will make you better. Now hush, and open your mouth," the spirit said, holding the spoonful of medicine in front of Yugi's lips. The smaller boy shook his head, leaning away from the spoon. Cough medicine, in his opinion, was the worst tasting thing in the world, and he'd rather be sick, than force that thick, syrupy goop down his throat.

"Aibou-"

/I don't wanna/

"Yugi, really. It's not that bad."

/Have you tasted it before/

"No, but it is a little hard for someone who has been dead for five thousand years to get sick. Just swallow it quickly. You won't taste it."

"Yes I-" but once again, Yugi's reply was cut off as he began coughing. His hands flew up to his throat, and his eyes shut tightly. His body doubled over, shaking harshly. He felt Yami's arms wrap around him again, holding him close and rubbing his back as he got over the second coughing fit. When it was over, Yugi lay limply in Yami's arms.

"Yugi, please take it. You need it," Yami pleaded.

/But it's so gross/ Yugi whined. He opened his eyes to look at the bottle on the night stand, and grimaced. It even looked disgusting, the red liquid slowly trickling down the inside of the bottle. Why couldn't he just take a cough drop? He would gladly take one of those. In fact, it was a habit of him to take one whenever he felt like it.

"Come on, hikari. Don't make me give it to you the other way," Yami said, holding the spoon in front of Yugi's lips again.

/What other way/

Yami just stared at him, and Yugi stared back. Suddenly, Yami placed the spoon in his mouth, grabbed Yugi's chin, and kissed him, forcing his way into the smaller's mouth. The Pharaoh let the medicine run from his mouth into Yugi's, giving him no choice but to swallow it. Yami pulled away, a smirk on his face.

Yugi was shocked, and his mind stopped. He slowly began to work his way out of his stupor, when he tasted it. The slimy, imitation cherry flavor of the cough medicine that he had just swallowed. He had a horrible taste in his mouth, and it was all Yami's fault. He glared at the spirit who just chuckled. /That was mean! That stuff tastes horrible/

Yami licked his lips, then scrunched his nose up. "You're right, it does."

/It's so gross/ Yugi whined, sticking out his tongue to keep the flavor out. Yami just chuckled at his antics. Yugi glared at him, though the image was a bit messed up, with his tongue hanging out. Yami had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out. Yugi glared at him more, and smacked the Pharaoh on the chest. /It's your fault! You big meanie/

"I'm sorry, love," Yami said, still trying to keep his laughter to himself. "but if you didn't take it, your throat would still hurt. I had to get you to take it somehow."

/But did you have to almost kill me in the process/ Yugi asked before realizing what he said. Yami's eyes widened, then clouded over, looking away from the other. Yugi started screaming at himself, wondering how he could have been so stupid as to say that. /Yami, I'm so sorry! I didn't think before I replied./

"It's ok, aibou," Yami said quietly, looking over and pasting a smile on his face. "I know you didn't mean to say that." Yami then stood up, grabbing the cough medicine. "You better get some rest."

/Yami, don't leave./ Yugi pleaded, scooting over to the edge of the bed.

"Don't move," the spirit replied. He pushed his light back down on the bed, covering him up. "I'm not going to leave, I promise."

/Swear it/

"I swear. I'll always be here, so whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."

/Oh no, what a cruel punishment. What did I ever do to deserve that/ Yugi said in mock despair. Yami glared at him, and stuck his tongue out. Yugi repeated the action, then squeaked in surprise when Yami pounced on him. The older teen gently pinned him down, preventing the other from escaping.

/Y-Yami, you k-know I didn't mean it. I was just joking./ said Yugi, laughing nervously. The spirit didn't reply, but stared into Yugi's eyes, the crimson orbs never faltering in their gaze. Violet eyes stared back in confusion, wondering what the other was up to. He gasped when Yami leaned in closer, so close that their noses lightly touched each other. /Um…Yami…what are you doing/

Yami didn't reply. The spirit then planted a light kiss on Yugi's lips. Yugi could have passed out from surprise. Of all the things the spirit could have done. While he was getting over his shock, he didn't notice the hands that were wandering down his sides. When he finally noticed though, it was too late to stop the oncoming attack.

Yami's fingers glided over Yugi's stomach swiftly, with feather light touches. He smiled when the first giggles escaped his aibou's lips. He just loved making Yugi laugh, making him smile. It was the only thing that could make the spirit truly happy. He continued to tickle the smaller one, making them both happy. It was amazing how something so simple as a smile could make Yami melt inside. Yet this one boy did that and so much more. This one boy could make him feel so much. Yugi made him feel safe and comforted, made him feel needed, wanted, loved. It was everything he had ever wanted.

Yugi was laughing so hard, he felt like his sides were going to split. Yet he just continued laughing as the lithe fingers traveled up his sides and down his stomach. He writhed and squirmed about, all thoughts of his sickness erased from his mind as he focused on the feelings he was receiving from his dark half. He let out a shriek as he was lightly pinched on his right side. In return, he heard laughter from the one on top of him. That made him laugh more, thrilled that Yami was in such a good mood. Finally his laughter got so bad, he could barely breathe. His lungs felt shriveled up, and his cheeks were wet with tears of joy. It was heaven, and he wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

After a while, Yami decided that Yugi had had enough punishment. He slid his fingers out of the pajama top, and sat there on top of Yugi. He took in the beautiful sight before him. Yugi was panting heavily, his face flushed a deep red color that accented his eyes which sparkled brightly with happiness. His pearly skin shone lightly with a sheen of sweat from all his moving, mixing with his tears. A huge smile was on his face, making his eyes shine even more. It really was the most beautiful thing the spirit had ever laid his eyes on.

Yugi smiled up at his yami, his large, violet eyes shimmering with pure happiness, and unending love. In return, he received a smile back, one that made his heart flutter with joy. He let out a blissful sigh as he lost himself in the deep crimson orbs staring down at him. A sweat dampened bang fell into his vision, and he gently blew on it, trying to move it. Yami's hand pushed it away, softly caressing his cheek, making his entire body tingle.

"How do you feel now?" Yami asked quietly, love and concern in his voice, his eyes showing all his emotions

/I'm better now./ Yugi replied, still smiling at his dark half.

"Are you sure?" Yami asked again.

/I'm sure. I still feel a little bad, but not like earlier./

"How about your throat? I hope it's not worse from all the laughing."

"It's-" Yugi started, but then coughed a little. "Better." His voice was raspy and hoarse, and sounded very strained. His throat burned fiercely even if he wasn't talking, and he had to work to keep from coughing all the time. Yami frowned when he heard Yugi speak. He hated how the beautiful, melodious voice now sounded harsh, and gritty. The spirit wanted to hear his aibou's soft voice. He wanted to hear the melodic tone float through the air. The Pharaoh wanted to hear Yugi laugh, and sing like usual. Even a sentence in that sweet tune would make him happy for eternity.

"Yami, I'm fine," Yugi whispered, it being the only pitch he could speak in without coughing.

"Shh, hikari. Don't strain yourself," the Pharaoh replied, placing a finger on his lover's lips. "You need to rest, I want you to get better as soon as possible."

/I'll be fine. You're taking care of me, after all./ the smaller said, another smile gracing his angelic face. He sent his love, adoration, and gratitude to the spirit through their link.

Yami felt all those emotions flow through him, filling him completely. He felt as if he was about to burst, his heart overflowing with love for the beautiful creature under him. Oh, how he loved the young boy! His love could not be put into words, and even if he spent another five thousand years trying, he would never be able to describe even a quarter of it. The spirit leaned down, and lightly brushed his lips against Yugi's, marveling at how soft they were. As soon as the other's lips parted, Yami slipped his tongue in, and tenderly kissed his light.

Then broke apart after a bit, and stared at each other, reveling in their love. Yami placed light kisses on Yugi's lips, and on his cheeks, smiling when he heard Yugi giggle again. He placed a gentle kiss on the boy's lips, then pulled back and softly caressed Yugi's cheek. "So beautiful," he whispered, his heart filling with joy when he saw the untamed love shine through Yugi's amethyst orbs. Yami then nuzzled his cheek against Yugi's, and climbed off.

/Where are you going/ asked Yugi.

"To put this stuff up, since you hate it so much," the spirit replied, holding the bottle of cough medicine to Yugi's face, amused to see the smaller scoot away from it. "Unless…you want some more."

/NO/ the smaller yelled, ducking quickly under the covers. He heard Yami's laughter, and poked his head out to stick his tongue out at the spirit. /I can still taste it/

"So can I, but I'm not complaining," Yami replied with a smirk. He then ducked when a pillow was thrown at his head, laughing harder when he saw Yugi's pout.

/It's not funny/

"I'm sorry, love," Yami said, trying to stifle his laughter. "But I find it amusing that something so small can get such a reactions from you."

/You didn't have to force it down your throat every time you were sick for sixteen years/

"If I did, I'm sure I would hate it as much as you. Now you better rest," the spirit said, walking out of the room, feeling Yugi's glare piercing into his back. He just smiled and shook his head.

Yugi kept glaring at the empty doorway, as if accusing it for cursing him with disgusting cough medicine and a smart ass yami. The boy rolled his eyes, then let them travel across the room. The amethyst orbs landed on the bed next to him, and he smiled. That was supposed to be his bed, but Yugi knew that from that moment onwards, he would never sleep alone again.

The boy shifted the covers, sitting up slightly against the head board. He could still feel a dull ache in his back, but that mostly disappeared after the bath. But unfortunately, his fever had not. It was still there, in full force, though Yugi was very happy that his shivering had stopped. He slowly stretched his legs, trying to relieve himself of the rest of the pain. Yugi's violet eyes roamed across the bed sheets, feeling as if something was missing. "Where did my Dark Magician plushie get to?"

He leaned over, and noticed the plushie was lying where it had been unceremoniously tossed to the floor last night, the magician's face pressed to the carpet. Yugi leaned over the bed, or at least he tried to, but Yami had tucked the blankets around him so tightly, he could barely move. Yugi crawled to his stomach and reached down, trying to get the doll without actually leaving the bed. He lifted himself up on his knees, trying to reach down farther, but the doll was halfway under the bed, so he kept having to lean forwards to reach it, then lean back to keep himself from falling off.

It was at that moment that Yami chose to walk in the room. The spirit was startled and amused to see his hikari's cute rear end sticking up in the air. A million thoughts flashed through Yami's head, more than half of them perverted. Those thoughts only multiplied as he watched the boy's body bob up and down, and grunting was heard from his light. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out at the sight. He coughed to get his lover's attention, and it worked as the body stopped moving. "Yugi…what are you doing?" he asked, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

/Um…/

"Because I am getting a few good views from back here, if you know what I mean," the spirit said, his amusement almost becoming too much for him.

/Um…I'm trying to get my DM plushie./ Yugi responded, completely embarrassed.

"Why didn't you call me?" Yami asked as he walked over to the bed. He reached down and retrieved the doll, giving it back to his light, smirking at the bright red blush that was painted over his face.

/Because you were busy putting away the cough syrup of doom. By the way…where did you put it/

"Why do you want to know?" Yami asked, poking Yugi's cheek lightly.

/No reason…except that if I know where you placed it, I can go and throw it down the toilet./

"Now, do you really think I'm going to tell you that?"

/If you weren't so mean then yes, you would./

"Then I'll just have to be mean," Yami said with a smirk. Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, and turning away from the Pharaoh.

/Fine, be that mean. But don't think that I'll ever put that stuff in my mouth again./

"You won't have to……when you aren't sick."

/You just LOVE teasing me like that, don't you/

"Is it _that_ obvious?" Yami said, earning a glare from the younger. "But mostly, I just love you," he said, wrapping his arms around his hikari, holding the boy tightly to him. He felt Yugi's arms wrap around his own body, the boy cuddling close to him. The crimson eyed spirit looked down into Yugi's face, a smile appearing as he took in the smile of the other. Yami leaned down, and gave Yugi a soft kiss.

Later in the afternoon, the two lay in each other's arms, a peaceful silence enveloping them. There was no need for words, spoken or thought, they knew exactly how the other was feeling. Yami ran his fingers through Yugi's hair, making Yugi sigh in delight. The smaller held the plush toy in his arms, and was playing with the staff absently, but he was concentrating more on the warmth of the other.

"Do you feel better, aibou?" came the soft question that brought Yugi back from his daze.

/Yea, I feel better…I think./

"What about your throat?"

"It's getting there," Yugi managed to say without coughing. His voice sounded better, and his throat didn't hurt as much, but it was still a little painful. But at least he was recovering, though he was still ticked off that he had to take that nasty cough syrup crap.

Yugi felt one of Yami's arms unwind itself from around his waist, reaching up to feel his forehead. "You don't feel as warm as before. I'm going to go get the thermometer." Yami then gently shoved Yugi off of him, wrapping the boy in a blanket, before leaving to get the thermometer.

When he walked out, Yugi let out a happy sigh. He didn't hear the sadness in the spirit's voice anymore. That made him extremely happy, because now his love was happy. He didn't have to hear the pain in the other's voice anymore, and he was glad, because he knew that he couldn't take much more. But now that he was getting better, everything else was returning to normal. Yugi let out another joyful sigh, when hearing the Pharaoh walk in. He sat up slightly, watching the other in front of him. He opened his mouth obediently when the thermometer was placed on his lips. The two sat there in silence for the three minutes it took, each feeling extremely nervous. They both wanted to see the red line lower than it was before.

Once the time had passed, Yami pulled out the thermometer, and both he and Yugi held their breaths. Yugi held the Dark Magician plushie tightly, keeping it close to him like a security blanket. Yami looked down at the instrument, then broke out in a huge smile. Yugi anxiously tugged on the spirit's sleeve. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's 98.9. It's back to normal," Yami said gleefully. Yugi let out a joyful cry, diving into Yami's arms, giving the spirit a huge hug. He was thrilled. Everything really _was_ going back to the way it should be. Hopefully now, the two could live on without anymore trouble. "I'm so happy, aibou," Yami said.

"So am I, Yami," Yugi replied. He felt like laughing, crying, and dancing at the same time. Things just seemed to be perfect now. He had the love of his life with him, and he had beaten the last signs of his rough ordeal. Things were going great, no better than great! Everything he had ever wanted was with him now, and he was determined never to lose it ever. He just hoped that the rest of his life was as perfect as right now. Deep inside he knew it would be. After all, he did have the perfect lover. Yugi couldn't help the tears that rose to his eyes, and he smiled in joy as they softly fell down his cheeks, only to be wiped away by Yami's thumb.

"What have I told you about you crying?" Yami asked teasingly.

"You'll have to remind me," Yugi replied with a chuckle. "I wasn't paying attention to you before."

Yami smirked at his relpy, and Yugi knew he was going to get it. Yugi tensed, feeling those lithe fingers return to his skin. His body was trembling completely, but this time, it was from excitement, and anticipation of what was to come. Seconds later, laughter could be heard through the entire suite as the two lovers tickled the hell out of each other. The laughter didn't die down for quite some time, the feelings of joy and happiness hanging heavily in the air, both teens exuding love.

Finally, after a tickle fight that seemed to go on forever, they collapsed on the bed, more exhausted than they had ever been in their entire lives. But the exhaustion was outweighed by a sense of pride and joy. Yugi buried his face in Yami's neck, pressing his body against the Pharaoh's. "So tired," he whispered.

"We're going home tomorrow. Are you happy?" Yami whispered back, lovingly stroking Yugi's sides.

"Home? Yes, very happy. But I will miss this place. We have to come back soon."

"Come back? Maybe, but not for a bit. How about next vacation, we go to the beach?"

"The beach? Is this your 'subtle' attempt at getting me in a bathing suit?" Yugi said with a smile, poking Yami gently in the ribs.

"Maaaybe," Yami said, drawing out his answer. "But I really prefer you _without_ the bathing suit, if you know what I mean," he said in a husky voice into Yugi's ear. The younger teen 'eeped' in shock, his entire face turning the shade of a cherry, making the spirit laugh.

"Yami! You are so perverted! I think _you_ are the one spending too much time with Marik and Bakura."

"Never in a million years will I spend too much time with them, love."

"Whatever. Oh look, Yami! It's snowing again!" Yugi cried out, sitting up, and staring out the window. His amethyst eyes shone brightly, as they took in the lightly falling tufts of white. He had a look like that of a young child experiencing something wonderful for the first time. Yugi looked so joyful, and all because of snow.

"You like snow a lot, don't you hikari?" Yami asked with a chuckle, sitting behind Yugi and wrapping his arms around the smaller.

"Of course I love snow. If it wasn't for the snow, I wouldn't have you with me."

Yami just smiled, placing a soft kiss to Yugi's temple as they both watched the snow fall from the heavens.

The End

* * *

Star: **I'M JOKING! THAT IS NOT THE END! DON'T GO ALL SAD AND CRYING ON ME!**

Sorry, but after 4 MONTHS of working on this, I felt the need to bring some sense of humor into this………...though judging by how many of you are probably shocked and pissed off right now, it wasn't so funny.

Again, IM SO SORRY FOR LEAVING OFF FOR SO LONG! I really didn't mean to! It's just that I had so much to do. I promise I will get another chapter up before the end of May.

Please review everyone! I worked hardest on this chapter, so please be gentle.


	27. Departure

Star: HIYA -explodes- I can't believe that I am posting this up! It's been so long since I've posted anything for this chapter. Actually……I think it's been…almost 4 or 5 months since I've updated this story. I can't believe it.

Yugi: So, how many chapters left for this story?

Star: 2...well…maybe 3...I'm not so sure.

Yami: She writes the damn thing, and she's not even sure. -sighs- Completely hopeless

Star: -glare- I absolutely hate you.

Yami: I hate you too.

Yugi: There is so much love in the room.

Star: -rolls eyes- He started it. Anyway, on to the story. -cries- I'm so sad that it's almost over. Can you believe it's been more than a year since I posted this up? (for the second time) -dies- I don't want this to be over. Anyway, let's get on to the chapter, and I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I think it's obvious by now that I don't own Yugioh, so I'm not going to say it……crap, I just did.

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

**This chapter is dedicated to Silverwing147. Thank you for betaing this chapter. :glomp:**

----Departure----

Dawn broke over the mountain range, the snow illuminated by the light of the sun. The bright orb drifted lazily through the sky, bringing the new day with it. The stars blinked out of sight, as if waving goodbye to the sleeping people below. The moon finished its last dance through the sky before letting the sun take over. It vanished out of sight just as the sun floated into place, beaming down at the mountain side, and the ski resort on it.

The slivers of light streamed through the blinds of suite 106, streaking across the floor, and stretching across the room. They crept up the sides of the beds, over the blankets, and then shone into a boy's amethyst eyes. The boy's eyes closed for a moment, before opening again. They watched as the beams of light moved across the floor, chasing the shadows from their hiding places. Pretty soon the entire room shone brightly. The amethyst eyes shone as well; not only from the light outside, but from an inner light fueled by happiness and joy.

Soon he became tired of looking at the light, and his eyes drifted down to the other boy in his arms. A gentle smile came to his lips as his eyes roamed the sleeping features of his lover. The other's crimson eyes were closed in deep sleep, his face relaxed and content. The sunlight shone off his skin, making him look like a golden god. The amethyst eyed boy was captivated by the sight of the other. Slowly, so as not to wake the sleeping spirit, he reached up and lightly ran his fingers through the silky hair.

The spirit shifted slightly and moved his head, which had been resting on the boy's chest, and let it rest on his shoulder. The Pharaoh's eyes fluttered slightly, but didn't open. Instead, a small smile formed on his lips. "Yugi," he whispered, tightening his grip on the smaller boy. Yugi didn't say anything, but continued to stroke his other half's hair, the smile on his face bigger.

Yugi then looked at the clock on the table beside the bed. It was still very early, only ten after six. He should have been asleep, but he had woken up around five and couldn't get back to sleep. Instead he had watched the other sleep in his arms, and thought about everything that it took to bring him there. (It's amazing,) he thought. (Last week I never would have dreamed that this would be possible, but here we are. I can't believe that this all happened in just a week. I can't believe I didn't realize it till now just how much I love Yami. I don't know how I've survived without his love for so long.)

Yami shifted again, turning his head away from the sun, and burying it in the crook of Yugi's neck. He closed his eyes tighter, and let out a light groan of annoyance. Yugi chuckled at the sight. His lover was like a child sometimes, but it was cute as hell. Yami had never liked the mornings, and it was always a challenge to get him out of bed for school. Now it would probably be even harder to get the spirit out of bed if he was going to be cuddling up to Yugi every night. (I'm going to have a hell of a time with that,) Yugi thought, but he was still smiling. He'd go through anything for Yami.

He felt the Pharaoh shift once again, and saw his eyes flutter for a brief second. The smaller tried to be as still as possible, so that the other could continue sleeping. Yami needed all the rest he could get, considering what had happened and all that he had been through. (Yami's done so much for me. I'm amazed that he hasn't just collapsed from exhaustion. The way he looked when I woke up in the hospital, it was like he had just come from hell. I don't want to see him wear himself out because of me.)

Yami's eyes opened a crack, closed for a minute, then opened half way. His sleepy crimson eyes scanned the room. He then moved his head from Yugi's shoulder, and looked up at his small hikari and into those sparkling amethyst eyes that he adored. He gave his lover a drowsy smile, and leaned up to give Yugi a chaste kiss on the lips. /Morning, aibou./

"You should go back to sleep, love. It's still very early."

"Then why are you awake?" Yami asked, yawning.

"Couldn't sleep," Yugi replied with a shrug.

"Why not? Is something troubling you?" Yami asked, now more awake. If something was bothering his light, he wanted to know.

"No, I was just thinking," Yugi said, giving the spirit a smile, and returned to stroking the other's hair. "Just thinking about this past week, and everything that happened. The good and the bad, but mostly the good."

Yami nodded, and sat up. He raised his arms above his head and stretched. Then he felt his hikari's arms wrap around his waist, and he smiled. Yugi placed his forehead on Yami's back and closed his eyes, sighing in content. The spirit then turned around and drew his lover into an embrace. He placed a light kiss on the boy's forehead and felt happiness flow through their link. It was amazing that such a small gesture could make the boy that happy. Yami loved being the one to make him feel that way. He placed more kisses on the boy's temple and on his cheeks, making Yugi giggle.

"Yami, that tickles," the smaller teen said through his laughter.

"All the more reason to do so," replied the Pharaoh. He then ran his fingers up and down his light's back, causing more giggles to come from the teen.

"Yami, come on," Yugi said, trying to control his laughter. "It's too early for this." He tried to squirm out of Yami's grasp, but the other teen was stronger.

"But this is how I shall wake you up from now on, so you have to get used to it," the Pharaoh replied with a devilish smirk.

"You can't _possibly _be serious!"

"Oh, but I can."

"If you think you are going to wake me up like this, then you can find another bed to sleep in," Yugi said with a glare that was ruined by his attempt to keep from laughing. He tried again to free himself from his dark's hold, but once again, he failed.

"Aww, you don't mean that."

"Oh, but I do."

"Meanie," Yami said. The spirit folded his arms, and turned his head away from the other, pouting like a five year old. Yugi rolled his eyes, and sighed, poking the spirit in the ribs.

"Yami, sometimes I wonder about your state of mind."

"_You _have maniacs after you every day, and see just how sane you come out of it," Yami answered, his pout getting bigger.

"Oh, so you admit that you are crazy. I'll be happy to tell the others about it," the smaller said with a smirk. "Now we can finally use that reservation at the asylum. We had planned that if you didn't admit your insanity in the next three months, we would just drag you there."

"Hahaha, very funny. You are such a comedian, hikari."

"Yea, I know. It's why you love me," Yugi replied with a wink. Yami rolled his eyes, but smiled. His hikari was just so...Yami couldn't describe it, but it was irresistible. There was no way he could even _pretend _to be mad at his light.

"That's not the only reason I love you, just to let you know," Yami said, caressing his aibou's cheek lightly. Yugi leaned into the touch, a soft smile replacing the smirk.

"What are the other reasons?" the teen asked, looking up at his yami with eyes full of love, devotion, and trust.

"There isn't enough time in the universe to tell you all the reasons," the Pharaoh replied, a soft smile of his own gracing his lips.

"Yami, you are so corny sometimes," Yugi said, melting under the amount of love that shone in the other's eyes.

"Yea, but it's why you love me."

"Just one of the reasons," Yugi said, leaning in to place another chaste kiss on Yami's lips.

"You know what I've realized?" Yami asked.

"What's that?"

"You haven't given me a proper good morning kiss."

Yugi sighed, and placed a hand on his forehead. (Idiot Pharaoh.)

/I heard that./ Yami said with a small glare.

/And you always prove me right./

"Whatever. So are you going to give me a kiss or not?"

"Fine," Yugi said with a chuckle. "But only because you are cute." That said, he leaned up and kissed the other with all the passion and love in his heart. He felt the same emotions coming from the other, and felt like the greatest person on the earth. He had the love of the most amazing man that had ever lived, so there was nothing that could bring him down. They broke the kiss only to breathe, but immediately locked lips again, engaging in another soul shattering kiss.

They pulled away a second time and embraced, enjoying the love that surrounded them. They didn't say anything for a while, they just sat there on the bed in each others arms. The link was wide open and they felt the passion flow freely through them. Yami brushed back Yugi's bangs, and placed another tender kiss on the younger's forehead. "I love you, Yugi," he whispered into his aibou's ear.

"I love you too, Yami," Yugi whispered back. Neither wanted to break the tranquility that surrounded them, they just wanted to spend the rest of eternity like that. Yugi closed his eyes and placed his head on Yami's shoulder, sighing quietly. It was heaven being in Yami's arms, knowing that nothing could ever happen to him as long as Yami was with him. But all good things must come to an end, and sleep apparently decided that it wanted to take Yugi into it's own arms, and the teen let out a small yawn.

"You should be the one to sleep, aibou," the spirit said quietly, laying Yugi down on the bed.

"I'm not sleepy. Just a bit tired," Yugi replied, pulling Yami down next to him, and cuddling into the Pharaoh's side. The teen closed his eyes for a few seconds, but he was determined not to fall asleep, so he opened them again only to have them droop shut. Yugi groaned, and forced his eyes open again.

"Just sleep, tenshi. It's only six thirty. You need to rest after everything," Yami said, calmly stroking Yugi's sides. It was a sure way to get his aibou to sleep, and it was working as Yugi's eyes closed once more. But again, they opened. Yugi refused to fall asleep, which wasn't such a good thing. He needed to get as much rest as possible, or he might get a relapse of the fever from yesterday. If he wasn't careful enough, he might even have to go back to the hospital! Yugi might have been determined to stay awake, but Yami was just as determined to see that his hikari was in good health.

"But...'ami...I'm not sweepy," the teen said in a slightly slurred voice. It was obvious to anyone that the boy was indeed sleepy, but Yugi refused to admit it. Sometimes he was too stubborn for his own good.

"Yugi," Yami started in a serious voice that meant no arguments.

"Fine...but only...if you give me...another kiss," the other said through yawns.

"Gladly," the Pharaoh replied and kissed his aibou softly. They pulled away and Yugi let out a happy sigh. He then closed his eyes, and cuddled closer to Yami's body. The Pharaoh smiled and continued to stoke his lover's side, when something came to him. "Yugi?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you mean when you said that you'd kiss me only because I was cute?"

"...sleepy."

"Stop ignoring my questions. What did you mean?"

"So tired...must sleep."

"Yugi, tell me," Yami whined, lightly shaking his aibou.

"Yami, you can't possibly think it's because of your smarts."

"And what's that supposed to mean!"

"Yaaaami!" Yugi whined back, covering his ears. "I wanna sleep!"

"Five seconds ago you were refusing to close your eyes, and now that I've caught your little insult you want to pretend that you are tired."

"It took you a while to even realize that I had insulted you, so _obviously _it's not for your smarts," Yugi said. "Now leave me alone, or you will be sleeping on the other bed by yourself."

"You are so mean to me," Yami said, glaring at the smaller. He poked his light in the ribs, making Yugi moan in annoyance. The younger smacked Yami on the shoulder, which made Yami poke him harder. In turn Yugi pinched Yami's side, making Yami pinch Yugi on the cheek.

"Yami, please!" Yugi whined again. "I'm still worn out from yesterday. Let me sleep, please?" Yugi asked, giving his dark his puppy eyes.

"Fine, but only because I want you to get better."

"Yea right. You know you can't resist that look."

"I am not going to start that one at this time in the morning."

"You just know you can't win," Yugi replied with a smirk.

"What happened to you being tired?"

"I am. So you have to shut up now," the amethyst eyed boy said, placing a finger on his lover's lips. He then placed his head back down on Yami's chest and closed his eyes, falling asleep in a minute.

Yami watched his light sleep with a smile on his lips. He really couldn't resist those eyes, and everyone knew it, but that didn't mean that Yami was going to say it out loud. It was amazing how cute and annoying his light could be at once. Yami loved every second of it. He wouldn't change his aibou for anything in the world. Yugi was perfect in his eyes, and he'd gladly go through all of Yugi's annoying days to be with him. It was incredible how much the boy had changed him. Before, Yami would never have let anyone talk to him or treat him like that, but he let Yugi get away with anything. He couldn't say no to his aibou, and getting mad at the one who held his heart was unthinkable. Yugi had changed him, and it was definitely for the better.

Yami reached over Yugi and grabbed the Dark Magician plushie that was lying next to Yugi's side. He placed it in Yugi's arms, and watched as his light held it tightly. Yami's heart melted at the sight. His hikari was much too cute for his own good, but it was just another reason that the spirit loved him. He continued to caress the teen's side, sending as much love as possible through their link.

The Pharaoh turned to look at the clock. It was six fifty four, still very early, but they had a lot of things to do. They were leaving for home at eight that night. They would arrive in Domino Airport at nine thirty, and they'd be back at the game shop at around ten. It would be a busy day, since they had to pack everything. They should have packed yesterday, but because Yugi got sick it was impossible. Luckily it was Friday, so they had the rest of the weekend to relax. ((I don't want him to push himself, so I'll do all the packing while he gets some more rest. Though he'll probably complain that I'm doing too much for him. But he won't get up from this bed unless I know that he is perfectly fine. Well, I better get some sleep myself if I'm going to be doing both our luggage,)) Yami thought. He pulled his hikari's sleeping form closer to him, smiling when Yugi nuzzled his cheek on Yami's chest. Yami caressed Yugi's cheek, and kissed the boy again before returning to sleep.

-------------------

It was ten when Yugi awoke again. He turned in the bed, only to find that Yami was not lying next to him. He looked all around the room, but couldn't find his dark half. He saw that their suitcases were lying on the floor, and that some of their clothes had been strewn on the other bed, and some were lying on the chair. (Has Yami been packing? Why didn't he wake me up to help?) Yugi sat up, the Dark Magician plushie held loosely in his left hand. The teen stretched a bit, and then got up from the bed. He had gotten up too fast though, and he collapsed back on the bed. "Damn!"

"Yugi? What happened!" asked Yami as he rushed into the room.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I just got up too fast," Yugi said, trying to reassure Yami. The spirit though wasn't taking any chances, and put his aibou back in the bed. "Yami, I'm fine. I swear," Yugi said again.

"I don't care. You aren't going to get up from this bed until we leave," Yami replied, covering Yugi with the blankets.

"Yami, you can't do that. I'm ok now," Yugi said with pout. He wanted to get up and  
walk around. He had barely walked since he came back from the hospital, and that was two days ago! He needed to know if he could walk better now. Besides, being stuck in a bed all day was the most boring thing in the world.

"Yugi, please just stay still. I want to make sure that you are ok. I don't want you getting sick again," Yami said with a frown. The care and devotion in the Pharaoh's crimson eyes was too much for Yugi, and he found he didn't have the heart to argue with the other.

"Ok, but at least let me help pack. I need to have something to do."

"No, it's ok, I'll do the packing," Yami said as he walked over to the suitcases. There were a bunch of clothes that he had to pack. He hadn't thought that a weeks worth of clothes would be such a pain. But of course, he only packed his suitcase. Now he had to pack his and Yugi's. He also had to do the laundry. The spirit sighed; it would be a long day.

"Yami, please let me do something. You've already done enough," Yugi said, sitting up again. "I don't have to get up. I can lie on the other bed, and fold the clothes or something. That won't be too hard."

"But, Yugi..."

"Please. Let me do something. You've been through a lot this week, and you need a break. Let me help pack the suitcases. It'll go faster that way, and I promise I'll rest afterward."

"You've been through more than I have. I don't want anything to happen to you again," Yami said, sitting next to Yugi, and holding the boy's hand. "I want to make sure that you will be ok. That's why I don't want you getting up or moving. Who knows what can happen.

"Yami, everything will be fine. I told you before, I will be ok as long as you are here with me," Yugi replied softly, looking at his other half with trust. "I want to help you. I want to make sure that you are ok as well. The more you do, the more exhausted you will get. So let me help you, please?"

Yami looked into Yugi's eyes and the saw the determination in the amethyst orbs. He knew his light wouldn't give up unless he could help. The Pharaoh didn't know what to do. Should he let Yugi help him? What if he got sick again? But on the other hand, it would make things go a lot faster. And if they finished quickly, then Yami could spend more time with Yugi without interruptions. Another look into the boy's eyes, and Yami caved. "All right, but you will not get up from the bed. If you need something, you will call me, got it?" he said sternly.

"I got it," said the teen with a smile. He hugged his lover briefly, and started to get up. When Yami reached over to help him, Yugi shook his head. "I want to see if I can do it. I haven't walked much in two days, you know. And it's only a few steps."

"Well...alright," Yami said hesitantly. He watched as Yugi slowly got off the bed and stood. The spirit stood up beside his hikari, incase the boy should falter. Yugi stood his ground, and cautiously took a step. Seeing that his legs were stronger, he walked over to the other bed without any problems. He and Yami sighed in relief; at least they knew he could still walk. Yugi gave the Pharaoh a smile, and Yami felt better.

"I told you I'd be fine."

"All right. I'll give you the things and you pack them. But if you get tired at all you tell me, and I'll finish it."

"Yami, I'll be fine. Sometimes I think you take your 'protector' role too seriously," the smaller teen said, shaking his head as he started to fold the clothes.

"It's only because I care for you."

"I know. Now go away, and stop hovering over me! Haven't you ever heard of personal space?"

"And what if I like to be near you?" Yami said while sticking his tongue out.

"Near me is fine. But when you watch me like a hawk, it gets a bit annoying," Yugi replied, repeating the gesture. Suddenly, he found himself in a lip lock with the spirit. The other pulled away with a triumphant look on his face. "Damn it! Stop tricking me like that!" Yugi said, pouting and hitting his dark half over the head with a shirt.

"I can't help it if you fall for it every single time," Yami said laughingly. He loved getting his aibou riled up. He was adorable when he pouted. Before he could blink, his world had gone black. He pulled away whatever was blocking his vision to find that Yugi had thrown a towel at him...a damp towel. "Yugi, that wasn't fair," complained Yami with his own pout.

"You deserve so much more," Yugi said with a glare.

"I'm hurt, hikari," the Pharaoh said, a look of mock sadness on his face. "Here I am, dedicating my afterlife to you, and what's the thanks I get? A wet towel over my head and the threat of more pain. This isn't the way a Pharaoh should be treated."

"Oh, get over yourself," the teen said, rolling his eyes at the idiotic way his dark was behaving. "Shouldn't you be doing something productive, instead of talking about unimportant things?"

Yami narrowed his eyes in a glare. "I hate you."

"I know," Yugi replied coolly.

"Shut up. I really hate you," the crimson eyed spirit said, walking over to the closet and pulling out some more clothes for his aibou to fold.

I know," Yugi said, putting the folded clothes in one suitcase, and moving the Millennium Puzzle to the side. Vaguely he wondered if he could use the puzzle's magic to make Yami stop talking. But then he remembered that Yami could use the puzzle's magic as well, so there went that plan.

"Ok, how about this. I despise you," the spirit said, walking out of the room to the living room.

/I know./

/Shut up! I hate you/ Yami yelled through their link, storming back into the room with a new pile of clothes that he dumped on Yugi's head.

"I know," the younger replied, calmly taking a shirt from his head and folding it, not caring that they had been dumped on his head.

"Shut...Oh no. I'm not going to say it this time." Yami said, glaring at the other and folding his arms. He knew he was acting like a little kid, but damn it, how the hell could Yugi be so calm?

"Ok then," replied the other with a shrug. He so desperately wanted to laugh, but he controlled himself. It was entertaining to see his yami act like a child. Yugi glanced up, and the urge to laugh became stronger. The regal Pharaoh was standing in a corner, pouting like a baby. Yami could never stand it when Yugi acted so calmly during times that he was freaking out.

They didn't say anything for a while. Yugi continued to fold the clothes, the pile on his head growing smaller. Yami continued to pout in the corner, put off by the fact that Yugi was so uncaring to him. Yami watched his light work, frustrated that he was also being ignored. This was definitely going to be a long day. When Yugi decided to be annoying it always was. The minutes rolled on, neither saying a word. The longer the silence continued, the more aggravated Yami got. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Screw this! I hate you!"

A smile broke out on Yugi's face. (I was wondering how long Yami would last. He can never last more than seven minutes, and this time he only made six.) The smaller paused in his work, and waved his lover over. Yami glared at him, and walked slowly to the boy. When he was within reach, Yugi grabbed Yami's shirt, and pulled the other down into a deep kiss. When he pulled away, he whispered in Yami's ear, "I know."

With a loud cry of frustration, Yami leapt off the bed, and stormed out of the room. Yugi's resolve failed, and he started laughing loudly. It was just so much fun getting Yami mad like that. He was so cute when he acted like that. He was doubled over in laughter, so he didn't notice that the Pharaoh had reentered the room armed with a pillow. Yami threw the pillow at his light's head, and rushed out of the room.

Yugi blinked as the pillow smacked him, causing the pile of clothes still on his head to fall all around him. It took him a second to realize what had happened when he started laughing again. His yami really was a child. Yugi would definitely have a hard time with him. It was bad enough that he was his yami, but now that they were lovers, things would really get out of hand. It was a challenge that Yugi was very much looking forward to.

The teen climbed out of the bed, going slowly so as not to fall again. He grabbed the pillow that had been thrown at him, and crept silently out of the room. He glanced around the corner and into the living room, but he couldn't find his lover anywhere. Seeing that it was safe, he walked out of the bedroom, using the pillow as a shield for any surprise attacks. He walked to the living room and stood in the middle, surveying the suite. It was quiet, too quiet. (Yami can be hiding in either the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining room, or the laundry room so I have to be careful.)

Slowly and silently, the light walked to the kitchen. He peeked around the corner, but couldn't see anyone. He rushed into the room, and hid behind the counter. From here he got a good view of the dining room, living room, and part of the bedroom. The bathroom and the laundry room were out of his sight though, and Yami could be hiding there, planning another attack on him. He quickly dashed to the other side of the kitchen, and looked out. (So far so good,) he thought. (Now if I can make it to the bathroom.)

Yugi crawled around the corner, then got to his feet and tip toed across the living room. He suddenly felt someone behind him, but when he turned around, there was no one there. Not even a hint that Yami was in the room. Yugi narrowed his eyes and walked on, holding the pillow closer to him. He kept glancing back and forth, and for a second he thought he saw crimson eyes, but when he looked again they were gone. (I'm going to find that yami of mine, and when I do, he is so going to get it.)

Yugi made it to the bathroom without anymore problems. He rushed inside, and closed the door half way. His heart was pounding with excitement. Being around Yami was never a bore, that was for sure. The boy blinked and got back to his task. He searched the bathroom for a small mirror, and when he found it, he placed it next to the door. That way he could see if Yami went through the living room without being seen himself. The amethyst eyed teen lay down on the pillow and waited for his prey to show up.

The time ticked on, and no movement was seen in the suite. Yami had not appeared, and Yugi was becoming restless. He wanted to go out and search for the Pharaoh, but he had to stay put. The other would have to come out eventually. Yugi's patience paid off as he saw a slight movement from behind the couch. He leaned closer to the mirror to see, and noticed it was Yami's hand. (He's gotten sloppy,) Yugi thought with a smirk. (Unless he _wants _me to see him. He's trying to lure me out! Well it's not going to work. I'm going to stay here, and _he _will be the one to come out.)

Yugi waited a few more minutes to see if Yami would do anything else. He saw the spirit slowly climb out from behind the couch. It seemed he had another pillow. (Probably planning to hit me with that one too. Ha! He wishes.) The teen watched his lover cautiously walk to the middle of the living room. The other was staring at the bathroom door. (He knows I'm here, so he's not going to come closer. Damn him,) Yugi thought frowning. He had to figure out a way to get the spirit closer to him. He watched the Pharaoh walk into the bedroom, his eyes locked on the bathroom door the entire time. Once he was inside the bedroom, he shut the door.

(Now's my chance,) Yugi thought, and he dashed from the bathroom into the dining room. He knew Yami saw him move, so he crept into the kitchen from the back where Yami couldn't see. It was a good thing that the two rooms were connected. Once he got behind the counter, he looked out across the suite again. The bedroom door was open, and he saw a shadow run to the laundry room. (He knows I'm in the kitchen, so that's why he ran there. That sneaky idiot. He thinks he's so smart.)

Throwing caution to the wind, Yugi ran across the living room, and stopped a few feet in front of the bedroom door. He knew he was an open target, but he did that to get the other out of hiding. Yugi was going to end this game, and he was going to be the winner. He started walking to the bedroom, deliberately going slow. He felt something shift behind him, but didn't turn around. (Too soon,) he thought, and he took a few more steps to the door. Suddenly, all his instincts told him to duck, which he did. Just in time too, as a pillow hit the wall where his head was. Yugi quickly turned around, and saw Yami running out of the room. Yugi threw his pillow, but it hit the door frame, just inches from Yami's side.

(Damn it! He got away!) Yugi raced behind one of the chairs, and peeked into the dining room. He saw Yami crouching behind one of the cabinets, and their gazes met. They both stuck their tongues out at the other, and mouthed words like, 'You are going down,' and 'You will lose.' Swiftly, Yugi leapt up, and ran across the living room, ducking behind the couch. He knew Yami had followed him, and when he looked out again, the spirit was behind the chair that he had just left. (That's right. Just keep following me. A little closer, and you'll be mine)

The teen crawled to the other side of the couch, and peeked out again. Yami had moved from the chair, and was now standing to the side of the big screen television. (Yes, just a little more.) Then, without warning, Yami ran from his hiding place, and jumped over the couch. Yugi yelled in surprise, and ran across the room. (This isn't part of the plan!) he thought as he sprinted to the bedroom, Yami right behind him. Just before he got to the door, he turned and ran to the kitchen. Yami wasn't fooled though, and ran into the dining room to cut him off.

Yugi gasped when he saw the spirit in front of him, and turned around, running back to the bedroom. He felt the Pharaoh's fingers graze the side of his arm and his heart raced. This was one hell of a way to spend the last day of vacation. It was great! Yugi was smiling as he ran into the bedroom. He didn't have time to shut the door behind him, so he ran to the bed farthest away from the door. Yami raced in behind him, and stood next to the other bed. They were both panting heavily as they stared at each other, a look of enjoyment in both their eyes.

Yami started to walk towards Yugi, taking slow steps. With each step that the spirit took forwards, the light took one back. Yugi knew he was running out of space, and before he knew it, his back was against the wall. He saw Yami smile victoriously and quicken his pace slightly. Yugi's heart started beating even faster, and his amethyst eyes darted around the room, looking for a way to escape. The only way to get out of the room was by jumping across both beds, but in order to take it, Yami had to be closer. It was a pretty hard move, but he wasn't going to let Yami catch him. There _was _one other way, but that was even harder to do. (Screw this, I'm just going to wing it.)

Yugi dashed to the right, and when Yami reached out to grab him, he ran left. He made as if he was going to jump over the bed, but ran around Yami instead. He had almost made it past the Pharaoh when he was tugged back. Yugi smirked, and turned around, pushing them both down to the bed. While Yami was getting over the attack, Yugi jumped up, and leapt on to the other bed. He was almost at the door! He was almost there! Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled back again. Yugi turned around again, but Yami was ready for him, and the spirit reversed their positions. Before he knew it, Yugi was lying on the bed with Yami straddling him.

They stared at each other for a while, both trying to catch their breath. Yami leaned down next to Yugi's ear, his breath causing shivers to run down the boy's spine. The Pharaoh only whispered two words, "I win."

"I hate you," Yugi replied.

"I know," was all Yami gave for an answer before capturing Yugi's lips in a fierce kiss. Yugi, being the good sport that he was, though he was mad that he didn't win, let Yami dominate the kiss. He would win the next one, so he decided to let Yami feel like a winner for now. Besides, kissing Yami was really fun. They finally broke away to breathe, panting harder than when they running. They looked at each other for a few minutes when suddenly Yami started laughing. Yugi stared at his dark like he had gone crazy.

"I hope you are planning on telling me what's so funny," Yugi said, which made Yami laugh harder.

"The look on your face when I threw the first pillow at you was priceless," the spirit said as he tried to control his laughter. One look at his hikari sent him into another fit of laughter. Yugi shook his head, his yami was a strange one that was for sure. And he thought Marik was crazy. Yugi poked the still laughing spirit in the ribs, and sighed.

"So are you going to get off me or not?" he asked.

"Um...let me think," Yami said, pretending to be in deep thought, when he suddenly collapsed on top of his lover. "How about 'no' ?"

"How about 'you are heavy'?" Yugi replied, trying to breathe. Normally he wouldn't be complaining, but Yami had just dropped on him. The spirit _was _bigger than Yugi, and he _did_ weigh more than him. It was just _slightly_ painful, note hint of sarcasm.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Yami asked, a hurt look on his face.

"Yami, don't start," Yugi warned, "or you seriously _will _be sleeping by yourself."

"You don't mean that," said the Pharaoh, a sly smirk on his face.

"And how do you know I don't?"

"Because then you won't have anyone to cuddle to."

"I have the Dark Magician plushie."

"You can't replace me with that." Yami said with a glare.

"Yes I can." Yugi replied, glaring back. "And at least it doesn't talk back, or act like a smart ass."

"You are so annoying," the spirit said, sticking out his tongue.

"Thank you, and _no_, I am NOT falling for that one again."

"It's just a matter of time before you do, love," Yami said. Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes. Yami called _him _annoying. If there was one type of king Yami was, it was the King of Being a Pain in the Ass. But it didn't make him any less attractive. Yugi would just have to make sure to get rid of that one personality problem. Though changing a five thousand year old spirit was not so easily done. Oh well, it was just another challenge.

"Yami, I thought we were supposed to be packing, not hitting each other with pillows, and acting like crack heads."

"We will pack. But now we are taking a break."

"I wouldn't really call this a break. And will you get off me finally!"

"This is a break, and I told you no."

"I'm going to hurt you," Yugi said, glaring again at the spirit.

"I love you too," Yami said, pinching his aibou's right cheek.

"Don't touch me, or I'll bite you."

"Play nice, Little One," the Pharaoh responded with a smirk.

"Don't you 'play nice' me, you…you…gah! I'm so pissed, I can't think of an insult. See what you do to me?" the younger replied with a pout.

"I'm sorry, hikari love," said the other with a laugh. He knew they shouldn't have been  
goofing off when they had such little time, but messing with his aibou was too fun. The Pharaoh changed positions, and now had his head on Yugi's chest. He heard his light groan in frustration, but that only made the spirit smile.

"You are not sorry, and I'm not talking to you anymore," Yugi said, and turned his head away.

"You just talked to me."

/Did not./

"You did again."

/My lips didn't move./

"But you are using the link to talk, so that counts."

/Does not/

"Since when?"

/Since I said so. Now will you please get off so we can finish packing/

"Fine, but only because you said please. But when we' re done, you' re mine again." Yami got off his lover, and helped the teen up. He then picked up Yugi in his arms, and plopped him on the other bed. "Finish folding the clothes…and refold the ones that got messed up."

"Jerk! You were the one to mess them up," Yugi said, hitting Yami's side with a shirt. "And what will you be doing?"

"Supervising," Yami said, but when he saw the glare that was being directed at him, he quickly changed his answer. "I-I mean I'm going to be helping you. Because that's what I do, i-is help you...yea...help," he said nervously, feeling fear race through him for a second. ((Note to self, NEVER get your hikari mad.))

"I thought that was what you said. Now put these clothes in the suitcases...NOW!" Yugi said, glaring even more. He inwardly smiled when he saw his yami jump to action. Ha! Scaring Yami was also fun. Whoever thought that gentle little Yugi could scare someone like Yami? He must remember to do it more often. At least they were getting the work done. He'd apologize when they were finished. Maybe they could have a little more 'one-on-one' time. Yugi smiled at the perverted thoughts that ran through his head.

"And what are you smiling about?"

"Nothing. Get back to work!"

---------------

At eleven thirty they finished packing without too much trouble. Yugi fell backwards on the bed with a happy sigh. "Finally. That took a lot longer than what was needed." He arched his back up as high as possible, and let out a long moan. His back was so stiff from sitting in one position for so long, and stretching felt good. Besides, he stretched that way because he knew it got Yami's attention.

"At least we got everything done," replied Yami as he stared at his aibou's body. Damn, his hikari was flexible! He leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and stretched his arms, trying to take his eyes off Yugi...and failing. Packing two suitcases of clothes was a hell of a lot of work. Now he could spend time with Yugi...that is unless his aibou was still mad at him. As if reading his mind...which he might have done, Yugi waved him over. Yami got up and sat next to the other boy.

"Loosen up, will you. I'm not going to bite you."

"That's not what you said an hour ago."

"Well that was then." Yugi said, waving it off. "I'm sorry about being so mean. You forgive me?" he asked, cuddling up to Yami's side, and giving him his puppy eyes.

"Of course I forgive you, tenshi. How can I ever be mad at you?" answered Yami, rubbing his nose against Yugi's, making the smaller giggle.

"So that means you still love me?" asked Yugi, making his puppy eyes even cuter. If scaring Yami was so fun, making him melt was even more fun. And it was a lot easier as well. It really was amusing manipulating a yami. Yugi wondered if Ryou and Malik felt the same way. He must remember to ask them.

"Of course I still love you! I'll always love you, my little hikari."

"Yay! Yami still loves me!" said Yugi happily, and he gave his dark a big hug, nuzzling his cheek against Yami's. He then rolled over on top of the spirit and gave him a light kiss. Then another, and another. "You know," he started, stopping to kiss the other again, "kissing you," another kiss, "is really," another kiss, "fun."

"Well, I'm glad you think so," Yami said with a smile. Here was why he loved his hikari so much. The boy was just WAY TOO CUTE!

"Well, I'm glad you' re glad I think so," said Yugi.

"Well, I'm glad you' re glad I'm glad you think so," responded Yami.

"Well, I'm glad you' re glad I'm glad you' re glad I think so," replied Yugi.

"Yep."

"Yep."

"Give me another kiss," demanded Yami.

"With pleasure," Yugi responded.

-------------

Around two twenty they decided to go downstairs. Yugi reminded Yami that they had promised to buy their friends souvenirs, so they went to the hotel gift shop. They found many things that made great gifts for the others. Yugi even got Yami to buy him a miniature glass figurine of a snowboarder. He would say it again, manipulating a yami was EXTREMELY fun. Afterwards they decided to take one last walk around the mountain side.

"I'm going to miss this place," Yugi said, as they walked through the snow holding hands.

"Not me," Yami said, wincing as a gust of wind blew past them. "Personally, I don't like the cold."

"That's only because you lived in Egypt. If you had been born in a place where it snowed, then you wouldn't be complaining."

"No, I'd still probably complain because a certain hikari was dragging me through this white stuff from hell."

"Whatever. You just like to hear yourself talk," said Yugi as they started on the trail to the skate rink.

"No, that's Anzu." the Pharaoh replied before a clump of ice fell from a tree above him. It landed a few feet away from him, and sprayed him with the snow. "Damn it! Snow must burn!"

"You know you just said-"

"I know, and I mean it!" the Pharaoh said, wiping off the snow that landed on his face. "I hate the snow!

"It probably hates you too. But don't worry, I love you," the smaller said, leaning up to kiss Yami's cheek. "Come on, the skate rink is almost here. Want to race again?"

"What? And have me beat you again?"

"You cheated!"

"How did I cheat, hikari love?" Yami asked with a laugh.

"You have longer legs!" That sentence made Yami laugh even more. He couldn't believe that his aibou said that! Looking at the pouting face of his lover made him laugh more. It was just too funny!

"I'm sorry that my legs are longer, Yugi. But you can't blame me for that."

"Yes I can! I can blame you all I want. You just had to be Mr. 'I'm so great and powerful and STUPID!'" Yugi smacked his yami on the arm, and mentally stuck his tongue out. Suddenly, he found himself in another kiss with Yami. The spirit pulled away, and started laughing again. "NO FAIR! You aren't allowed to do that!" Yugi said, hitting Yami over the head.

"You stuck your tongue out. So legally, I was allowed to do that."

"I didn't do it for real!"

"Mind link counts as well, Little One. And didn't I tell you it was only a matter of time before you did it again?"

"Meanie!" Yugi said, throwing a snowball at Yami's face.

"Ok, THAT wasn't fair!" Yami said, glaring at the smaller while removing the freezing cold ice from his face.

"Well guess what. I don't care!" Yugi said, sticking his tongue out, then running away.

"Yugi, get back here!" the Pharaoh yelled as he chased after his light.

The two ran down the entire path, almost hitting other hikers as they raced towards the lake. Yugi jumped over a tree branch, and turned around when he heard a 'splat' behind him. He broke out in giggles when he saw his yami face first in the snow. "What's wrong, Yami? Can't jump right?"

"You shut it!" the other responded, getting up and brushing himself off. He wasn't injured physically, but his pride and dignity had been damaged. He wasn't going to stand for that! He started after his lover again, making the boy run away again. They continued like that the rest of the way, and luckily Yami managed to avoid falling in the snow again. Finally they saw the lake up ahead. Yami was close to catching Yugi, but the other sped up, and ran out of his reach. /I'm going to get you, hikari/ he yelled through the link.

/You wish/ Yugi said, running around a tree in an attempt to lose Yami. Then the boy saw a familiar head of brown hair. "Kyoji!" he called out. When he saw that the other male noticed him, he raced over. He ran up to the boy and hid behind him. "Kyoji, you have to help me!"

"Why? what's wrong?" Kyoji asked, extremely confused.

"Yami's trying to get me."

"What? Why?"

"Because I threw a snowball at his face."

"Um...ok."

At that moment Yami ran up to them. He was slightly annoyed that Kyoji had again come between him and Yugi, but he knew that the other wouldn't try to take Yugi away. "Kyoji, get out of the way."

"No, don't!" Yugi yelled from behind him.

"Um...Yami...maybe you should calm down," Kyoji said. He really wasn't sure what was going on between them, and by the looks of it he didn't want to get involved.

"He threw a snowball at my face when he knows I despise snow!" the Pharaoh said, pointing an accusing finger at his aibou.

"Yugi, why did you throw a snowball at him?" asked the brown haired teen.

"Because he deserved it!"

"And why did he deserve it?"

"Because he's a jerk!"

"And why is he a jerk?"

"Because he is!"

"That makes no sense, hikari," Yami said.

"That makes a lot of sense," replied the younger teen, sticking his tongue out at the spirit.

"Actually...that really doesn't make sense," said Kyoji.

"Kyoji, whose side are you on!" asked Yugi with a pout.

"Well..."

"He's on my side," Yami said, stepping closer to the others.

"Actually..."

"No he's not, because he doesn't like you! He likes me!" Yugi retorted.

"Guys..."

"He can't protect you all the time, aibou."

"Um, guys?"

"At least he's nicer than a certain idiotic, stuck up Pharaoh!"

"You guys..."

"It's bad enough that Bakura and Marik say that. I don't need my hikari to say that either!"

"Guys!"

"What!" the two replied at once.

"I really don't feel safe between you two, so can I leave and let you fight alone?" asked Kyoji, nervous that the two were staring at him.

"Oh we' re not fighting," said Yugi with a smile.

"You aren't?" asked the silver eyed teen, even more confused now than before.

"No. We always do this," said Yami. "We rarely ever get into a real fight."

"O...k. I think I'm going to lie down now," Kyoji answered, and he started to walk away from the two. They just stood there watching him.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Yugi.

"Many things, aibou. Now back to the matter at hand..." with that, Yami took off after Yugi again. Yugi squealed in surprise and raced away from his yami. The two ran around the whole lake and through the trees that lined it and the café. Yugi debated on going inside the caf'e9 to the arcade. He could hide amongst the people, but if they saw either him or Yami, they would probably ask them to duel, which would take too much time. He also didn't feel like being swarmed by rabid fan girls whose sole purpose in life was to stalk/marry/rape/cause him mental insanity/rape him. Yes, he said rape twice, because he wouldn't put it past them to rape him twice. In the end he ran away from the building, and went back down the trail they had come from.

Yami sped up to catch his hikari because he was becoming tired of the chase. He wanted to go back to the warm hotel and cuddle up to his lover. Though that was impossible when said lover kept running away from him. /Come on, Yugi. Can we stop this/ he asked, too out of breath to speak out loud.

/No, because the second I stop, you'll tackle me into the snow./

/Will not! I'm getting tired of running, plus I'm cold/

/Must be your old age. At five thousand years, you' re no spring chicken./

/Don't even go there! You know as well as I do that I can beat you./

/Then why aren't you catching me/

/Because I'm tired/ Yami whined. If Yugi didn't stop soon, he was just going to go back to the hotel. There was no way he was going to stay out in the snow chasing his hikari if it wasn't going to get him anywhere. Finally he had enough and he stopped running. He stood there in the middle of the trail trying to catch his breath. He heard snow rustle to his left, and looked over. He saw his hikari peeking out at him from behind a tree. /Hikari.../

/Are you going to keep chasing me/

/No! I am way too damn tired/ Yami said. He waved his lover over, and Yugi narrowed his eyes, staring at him suspiciously. He slowly walked over to him, and stood in front of the spirit. Before he knew it, Yami was leaning on him as a support.

/Gah! Yami/

/So tired/ said the spirit. He had his arms draped over Yugi's shoulders, and his head was against the other boy's. He was hanging onto Yugi, holding himself up lightly. /Can we go back to the hotel now/

"Fine, but don't expect me to drag you the entire way."

"It's your fault that I'm tired!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is too!"

"Is not...damn!"

"Glad you agree. Now come on, you big baby," said Yugi. They started walking back to the hotel, staying silent so they could enjoy the peace around them. Yami had stopped leaning on Yugi, and now had his arm wrapped around the boy's waist, bringing him as close as possible. Yugi leaned his head against his dark half's shoulder, and closed his eyes momentarily. Yami was really warm and comfortable to lean on. It felt really nice being with him, and being held by him.

Yugi opened his eyes again, and looked around at the scenery. The woods were really pretty. The sunlight didn't completely break through the canopy above, so streams of light could be seen reaching from the sky to the ground. Little snowflakes winked in and out of sight as they passed through the beams. The snow around them was so white and pure, and it felt so soft under their feet. The air wasn't cold, but brisk and refreshing. It was a nice time to be outside.

Without warning Yugi stopped walking, and stared to the right. Yami stopped and looked at him, wondering why he wasn't moving. He looked in the same direction, but didn't see anything other than trees. "Yugi, what is it?"

"It was here."

"What was?"

"It was here that I went into the woods."

Yami was shocked into silence. He didn't think that Yugi would remember the place. He didn't think that he would want to remember what had happened to him. Yami didn't want to remember himself. He had to go through it once, and he did not want to relive that moment. "Yugi, lets go back," he said softly. He gently tugged on Yugi's jacket, but the other didn't move. He just kept staring out at the woods.

"I remember it was exactly at six that I walked off the path and into the woods," he young teen said quietly. "I had no idea why I walked there, but every time I tried to turn back, this voice would tell me to go on. In the end I decided not to fight it. Even though it was late, and it was pitch black, I kept going. I finally ended up at this really big lake. The lake looked so familiar, like I had seen it somewhere before. I knew that I had never seen it in real life, so the only explanation was that it was from those dreams. Of course, I thought I was crazy."

Yami had stopped trying to get Yugi to move, and now stood behind him, his arms wrapped around the boy's waist, and his forehead resting on Yugi's shoulder. He didn't say anything as he listened to his hikari talk. He didn't want to hear it, but he knew it was better if he did. It would be good for him, as well as for Yugi. If the boy told what happened, it might make it easier to forget.

"Anyway," continued Yugi, "I suddenly felt like there was something on that lake that was calling me. I had the greatest urge to go out across the water and stand in the middle of that lake. For all I knew, the ice could have been an inch thick. Looking back on it now, it probably was," he said with a small laugh. "So, being the incredibly smart person I am, I walked out there. I completely ignored my safety and went to the middle of the lake. I mean, I tried to turn back, but that stupid voice kept telling me to go on. Then the voice stopped, and I realized that I was in the middle of the lake. So I stood there looking around, half waiting for something to happen. When felt like I had made enough of a fool of myself, I started to turn back. And that's when it happened."

Yugi stopped to take a deep breath, the memories of that night rushing back at him like a tidal wave. "It was like a blur. One second I was walking, and the next I was deep under the water. I was so surprised that I gasped while I was under water, and it all rushed into my lungs. For a second I thought I was going to drown. Then I was back above the water. It took me a second to realize it, and when I did, I tried to pull myself out. But as I was pulling myself up, that piece of ice broke as well, and I fell back under. I could feel my body start to stiffen, and I didn't have any air at all. I was scared that I would never go back up to the surface. Everything started to go black, and I was panicking. No matter how hard I tried to go back up, I didn't seem to go anywhere but down. Then, when I had just about given up, I made it to the surface. I tried to pull myself out, but I was so exhausted, that I just passed out there. That's the last thing I remember till I woke up in the hospital."

Yami closed his eyes and took his own deep breath. It was really hard to listen to it, and having to picture everything that he went through. It was the one and only time he ever wanted to hear of it. Seeing him dying in the hospital was bad enough without having to hear how everything happened. The spirit took another shuddering breath, and tightened his grip on his hikari, fearing that the boy would disappear from him again. He opened his eyes when Yugi turned around in his arms, now facing him. The boy smiled softly, and gave him a hug. "It's fine now. Everything is fine now, Yami. Nothing will happen to me again. I'll be ok, I promise," the teen whispered, hugging Yami as tightly as possible. "I'll be ok," he repeated. "I'll be ok."

Yami nodded silently, gently stroking Yugi's sides. He felt Yugi's fear and uncertainty, and whispered comforting words into the boy's ear. He told the boy that everything would be better soon, that they would go home and forget it all. He told him that it would never happen again, that he was safe now. He told Yugi those things to calm the younger boy, but he partially said it to calm himself down. To reassure himself that everything truly _was _ok, and that it _wouldn't _happen again. If he didn't feel it wasn't the truth, he wouldn't have told it to his hikari. "Let's go back, Yugi. Away from this place." Yugi just nodded, and they started walking back towards the hotel.

"Hopefully those dreams have stopped," Yugi said after a while. "I already have you, so I don't need another voice in my head. Anymore and I seriously will start to think I've gone insane." Yami smiled at those words. That was so like his aibou. Even in the toughest of times, he would still try to joke around to lighten the mood for others.

"You were already crazy before I got to you, hikari love," Yami said with a smile. He was going to make sure Yugi was happy and that he forgot everything that happened before.

"But before you, no one knew it. Before you got a body, people thought I was talking to myself. I didn't plan on revealing my insanity until I blew up the school," Yugi responded with a pout.

"It wasn't my fault that you decided to talk out loud. If you had kept using the link, no one would have suspected a thing. And I think Jou and Honda might beat you to the whole ' blowing up the school' thing."

"Ha! That's what they think! They don't have a yami that can use Shadow Magic."

"Oh, so you are going to make me the criminal?" Yami asked, a shocked look on his face.

"Well of course! Even if I was the one to blow up the school, no one would believe me. They'd all just think of me as a cute, innocent boy incapable of hurting a fly," Yugi said, laughing.

"Yes, but for those of us who know you well, you are pure evil."

"Well, duh. But if I did blow up the school, would you still love me?"

"Of course. I'd visit you in jail everyday," laughed the spirit.

"And if I blamed it on you...would you still love me?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On how much time I would get."

"But would you take the blame for me?"

"Not willingly."

Yugi put on a hurt look. "So you would let me go to jail? You would let your innocent, defenseless hikari go to such a place?"

"I would probably worry about the other inmates safety more than yours." Yugi gasped, and pulled away from Yami's embrace. He walked away from the Pharaoh in a huff. "Yugi, don't be like that. I was just joking," the spirit said, running up to catch his light. "I'm sorry. It was just a joke!" Yami sighed in defeat when Yugi didn't answer. ((I'm so going to get it later. I just know it.)) "Come on, Yugi! I said I was sorry. It was a joke!"

--------------

The two made it to their suite, and surprisingly neither had suffered any physical injuries. Yami was very happy for that last part. "Yugi, are you still mad?" he asked. A glare from his small hikari was all he got in reply. The Pharaoh sighed again. Yep, he was still mad. "Come on, love. I said I was sorry. Can't you forget about it?"

Yugi glared at him even more, and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. It wasn't that he was totally mad at his yami, but he was a little ticked off. Though he couldn't really find a reason. After all, it had been a joke. Yugi blamed it on teenage mood swings, and forgot all about it. Besides, if Yami thought he was mad, the spirit would be extra nice to him. There was always a bonus. Yugi pulled off his jacket, noticing that it was the one he borrowed from Kyoji on their date. There was a night he would never forget. Even though it hadn't been with Yami, that date was still a lot of fun.

Yugi also remembered that he had been wearing the very same jacket when he had fallen into the lake. (No. Don't think of it. I have to put it behind me,) he told himself, shaking his head as if that would help him forget even more. He hadn't thought that he'd remember it all, but just seeing that one path that he took brought it all back. Yugi could remember the immense fear that he went through, and he could still feel the icy cold waters bite at his skin. The boy stared at the jacket, while a shiver ran down his spine.

"Yugi?" Yami called, opening the door and peering in. He saw his hikari standing in the middle of the room, staring at the black jacket in his hands. He noticed the boy was shaking, and walked over. "Love, what's wrong?" he asked, softly caressing Yugi's cheek. Yugi didn't answer, but he dropped the jacket onto the floor, and pulled Yami into a hug, burying his face in Yami's neck as if trying to escape the memories.

"Yami?" the teen called.

"Yes, Little One?" the spirit asked, rubbing circles in Yugi's back to calm him.

"Will you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Make me feel better...please?" he asked, lifting his head so he could look into Yami's dark crimson eyes. Yami looked deeply into his aibou's amethyst eyes, seeing the fear, love, and the desperate need to feel loved in the violet orbs. The spirit smiled softly at the other.

"Anything for you."

----------------

Yugi woke up around four twenty, the afternoon sun reflecting off a mirror and into his eyes. The boy groaned, and turned his head away. Why couldn't the sun ever shine in Yami's eyes? He groaned again when he felt a minor pain shoot down his lower back. He wanted to get up and stretch, but he could barely move with Yami laying on top of him. He shook his head when he felt a yawn coming.

Yami stirred and opened his eyes, yawning himself. He looked up into Yugi's eyes, and smiled. "Hi," he said, rolling off of the other. He yawned again while stretching his arms, then sat up with a satisfied groan. He then threw the covers off both of them, exposing their nude bodies.

"Hi, yourself," Yugi said, smiling as he hugged the other. He winced slightly as another bolt of pain flew down his spine. Yami saw and frowned, and started rubbing his hikari's back.

"Does it hurt much?" he asked.

"Not that much. Besides, the pain was worth the experience," the smaller replied, leaning up to give the other a brief kiss on the cheek. "I don't mind a little pain." He then lay back down on the bed.

"That's good, because that means we can have sex a lot," the spirit replied with a perverted smirk.

"How much is ' a lot' to you?" Yugi asked, narrowing his eyes. "And if you mean every day, which knowing you it probably does, then you can forget that."

"Always ruins my fun," Yami said regretfully with a sigh. That comment earned him a poke in the ribs. The spirit then stuck his tongue out at his lover.

"Not gonna happen," Yugi said. He smiled at the glare that was directed at him. Definitely childish. The teen arched his back, and gave a moan as he felt the knots in his back work themselves loose. He felt Yami's lustful gaze boring into him, and mentally smiled. Another lesson on how to manipulate your yami: tease him until he can't take it anymore. The second he was laying on the bed again, Yami pounced on him, and started kissing his neck, making the younger teen moan in pleasure. "Yami...you know we...have to get ready to...leave," he said through moans.

/Uh huh/ the other replied, moving to his lover's throat.

"So you ha...have to s-stop."

/Uh huh/ Yami said again, now kissing down Yugi's chest, running his tongue over the sensitive, pink nipples.

"Y-yami, come...on. We can do...oh Ra more...I mean...n-no. No more. We c-can do this...Ra...later."

"Fine. But you promise we will do this later," the Pharaoh said, slowly getting off Yugi's body.

"Yea...of course we will," Yugi answered, sitting up slightly and shaking his head to get rid of the lust that had fogged over his mind. "We should...should...get dressed again."

"We should take a bath first," said Yami as he got off the bed, putting the covers back on. Yugi nodded, and got up next to his lover. The two stood there, glancing back and forth from the door to each other. Suddenly, they both took off in a run for the bathroom, trying to be the first there. Yugi got there before Yami, and he slammed the door in the spirit's face.

"I win!"

"Yugi, you cheated!"

"How did I cheat, yami love?" the smaller asked, mimicking the tone that Yami had used earlier.

"You...you...I don't know, but you did!"

Yugi had to laugh at the answer he was given. "Yami, how would I know I cheated, if you can't tell me _how _I cheated?" He heard the Pharaoh mumble some curses, and laughed again. He then opened the door, and smiled at the angry looking spirit in front of him. "How about this? As an apology for being so mean earlier, come shower with me."

Yami's glare disappeared, and was replaced by a suspicious stare. "You serious?" At Yugi's nod, the stare was gone in a flash, replaced by a very perverted smirk. "You do realize that this will probably waste more time."

"So?"

"That settles it then!" cried the spirit as he raced inside, closing the door behind him.

--------------

An hour later Yami walked back into the bedroom, carrying his aibou on his back. They both looked exhausted, but very happy. The dark spirit gently set his lover down on the bed, and then fell down beside him. They were both panting heavily, and were working hard to bring their breathing back to normal. "Well," said Yami after some time, "that was one hell of a shower. We should do that more often."

"If all our showers took that long," said Yugi, pausing to take a breath, "we would probably never leave the bathroom."

"I don't see a problem in that," Yami responded as he wrapped an arm around Yugi's waist, bringing the boy closer to him. "Though I would rather stay in bed all the time, you know."

"You would, you pervert," Yugi said, running his fingers through the Pharaoh's hair.

"I don't see a problem in it," the other replied, placing his head on Yugi's chest, purring in contentment as he felt the delicate fingers stroke his hair.

"Remind me why I love you." Yami leaned up and kissed the boy passionately, leaving him winded again. "Oh...that's why."

Yami looked over at the clock, wondering how it got so late. "It's five twenty. We have to be at the airport at six. We better get dressed again."

"It's that late already! I wanted to go talk to Kyoji again," Yugi said with a pout. Yami scoffed when he heard the name, and Yugi smiled. "Don't worry, my jealous little Pharaoh. I just want to say goodbye. It's not like I'm going to run away with him or something."

"You better not, because I will hunt you down."

"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me. Besides, you are a hell of a lot better than he was," Yugi said, getting up and going back to the bathroom with his clothes.

"Good. Wait...what!" Yami yelled as he jumped up and ran after his aibou. "Yugi, what did you say?" he asked, standing outside the bathroom door.

"About what?" came Yugi's innocent question.

"Don't play dumb. What did you mean when you said I am ' better' than Kyoji?"

"...I don't know."

"Yugi, what happened between you and Kyoji!"

"Nothing."

"I'm serious! What did you do when you spent the night there?"

"I told you, nothing."

"I don't believe that! What did you two do?"

"Yami, I told you we did nothing!" Yugi said, opening the door, and glaring at his lover.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. Well...we did kiss...a lot," he replied. He then walked out of the bathroom now fully dressed, and went back to the bedroom. Yugi picked up Kyoji's jacket from the floor, and put it on, then put the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. He checked himself in a mirror, then turned to walk out of the suite.

"How much is ' a lot' ?" Yami asked while Yugi was walking by, ticked off at the fact that Kyoji had kissed Yugi BEFORE he did. Those other teasing kisses before didn't count.

"Not telling," was Yugi's reply. He stopped in front of the other, and placed a hand on Yami's cheek. "But trust me, you are better." He then walked to the door, but stopped and turned back around to the Pharaoh. "Yami, one thing. You really need to control your jealousy." Then he walked out, closing the door behind.

--------------

Yugi walked outside the hotel, shivering at the momentary blast of cold air that rushed past him. He looked around, then took off in the direction of the ski shop. Kyoji would probably be there, unless he was still at the skating lake. If he was, then Yugi wouldn't be able to say goodbye. Luckily, he saw Kyoji outside the ski shop talking to some people. Yugi walked up, and stood a few feet away from them.

Once Kyoji finished talking to the others, he walked over to Yugi. "Well, well, well. Look who's come to visit. I see you got away from Yami in once piece," he said, patting Yugi's head.

"Just barely. Thanks a lot for leaving me," the younger responded with a mock glare.

"Hey, it was either you or me, and I figured you could handle Yami."

"Whatever. Oh, I have to return your jacket," Yugi said as he pulled it off.

"Keep it."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure. It looks a lot better on you anyway," said Kyoji with a wink.

"Thanks," replied Yugi, putting it back on. "Anyway, I'm here to say goodbye."

"You have to leave already?" the other asked, frowning.

"In about half an hour. But I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see you again before I left."

"Well thanks for coming," Kyoji said, pulling Yugi into a hug.

"Thanks for everything you've done," Yugi replied, hugging the other back. "I wish I could repay you somehow."

"Stay safe. And come back to visit me."

Yugi laughed. "Don't worry. I'll come back. Somehow I'll convince Yami to come along too. Though right now he's a bit pissed."

"What did you do now?" Kyoji sighed.

"Nothing...just said you kissed me. So being the overly jealous, protective type that he is, he wants to come hunt you down," Yugi said, waving it off as if it didn't mean anything.

"I think I'll feel a lot safer when your crazy boyfriend is miles away," Kyoji said, shivering at the thought of what a mad Yami could do. It wasn't a pretty thought.

"No crazier than you. I seem to attract the lunatics," Yugi said, shaking his head sadly.

"Well I am crazily in love with you," Kyoji said with a smirk.

"...Kyoji..."

"It's ok," the snowboard instructor said, holding up a hand to silence the younger teen. "I'm fine. At least I know you will be with someone who truly cares for you. But if you ever realize that he's not as good as you think, you know where I am."

Yugi laughed and pulled him back into a hug. "Don't worry, I'll be on the first plane over here. I just wish we had more time to talk."

"It's not like we will never talk again. You have my email address, and I have yours, so we'll keep in touch."

"I'll email you tomorrow, I promise." Yugi then leaned up and gave the other a long kiss on the lips. He then pulled away slowly. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too. You will always be my favorite student."

"And you will always be my favorite teacher. Well, I should go now," Yugi said, reluctantly letting go of Kyoji.

"Take care of yourself, kid," Kyoji said, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"One of these days I'm going to find out why you like to call me that."

"Next time you come back I'll tell you."

"You better," Yugi said. "Bye, Kyoji." He waved then walked off.

"Bye, Yugi," Kyoji responded.

-----------------

Back inside the hotel, Yami stepped off the elevator and headed down the path towards the bar. He entered the dimly lit atmosphere and sat down in the same seat at the bar. He saw the bartender walk over to him, and he smiled. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," the bartender replied. "Come back for another drink?"

"No, I came to say goodbye. I have to leave in half an hour."

"So soon? Such a shame," the other said, shaking his head.

"I also came to say thanks. You really helped me out."

"Oh? So everything worked out with you and the other?"

"Yea. Everything is fine. Even better than before," Yami replied with a soft smile.

"Didn't I tell you that everything would work out in the end? So what happened to that guy that was in the way?"

"He and my friend decided to remain friends."

"And what about you and him?"

"I don't hate him as much as before. He's an ok guy."

"You only say that because he's no longer your competition," laughed the other man.

"Yea, I guess so," Yami said with his own laugh.

"Well, congratulations on everything. I hope you and your other have a great life."

"Thanks. I should go now," Yami said, getting up from the stool.

"Later," the bartender said with a wave. Yami waved back and walked out of the bar. The spirit looked at his watch, and realized that their taxi would be coming in a little bit. ((I wonder where Yugi is.)) He walked into the lobby of the hotel, and saw his aibou coming back inside. "So how did everything go?" he asked as he walked over.

"It went good. I'm going to miss him though,' Yugi answered, gently tugging on the sleeve of the jacket. "Where did you come from?"

"Just went to say goodbye to someone. He's pretty cool," the Pharaoh replied as the two started walking back to the elevator.

"You made a friend and didn't introduce me? I'm hurt. How do I know he's not more than a friend," Yugi said with a mock glare.

"He's older, aibou."

"Yami, no one can be older than you."

"What are you saying aibou?" Yami asked as he returned the glare.

"I'm saying that no one can be older than a five thousand year old spirit. You are the walking dead," was Yugi's response as they entered their suite.

"Well for a five thousand year old dead guy, I'm pretty hot," Yami said, a smug look on his face.

"Yes, you are," Yugi said, slamming his lover against the wall, and proceeding to fiercely make out with him.

"You obviously have no problems with kissing a five thousand year old spirit," said a winded Yami.

"Well you said it yourself, you are pretty hot," Yugi answered with a wink.

"What else would you add to that?"

"Gorgeous, dazzling, beautiful, sexy as hell. I can go on for hours."

"Sadly, we don't have hours," Yami said, sighing in disappointment. "But maybe you can continue the list at home?"

"Maybe," said Yugi, pulling away from the other. Suddenly he was pulled back into Yami's arms, and found himself being kissed again by the spirit.

"Just so you know," Yami said softly when they pulled apart, "I could go on for five thousand years and still never find enough words to describe your beauty."

Yugi smiled at his dark, his heart overflowing with love for the other. He hugged the other, sending all his love through the link, and feeling Yami's love flow through him. The two lovers stood there and embraced each other for a few minutes. They slowly pulled away when they realized that they didn't have much time left. They walked to the bedroom, grabbed their suitcases and walked downstairs. The taxi was already waiting for them, so while Yami helped the driver put the bags in the trunk, Yugi returned the keys. Then they both got in, and the cab drove off, taking them away from the ski resort on the mountain side.

--------------

Hours later the two teens walked in the kitchen of their home. They turned on the lights in the house, as they were the only ones there. "So when does jii-chan get back?" asked a tired Yami.

"Two days," responded an even more exhausted Yugi. The boy then collapsed on the couch, glad to be back home. He didn't want to move from the couch. He didn't want to move ever again. But fate hated him, so he was reminded by Yami that they had to take the luggage upstairs. "Can't we do that later?" he whined.

"If we don't do it now, we won't ever do it. We can sleep after," said Yami as he tried to hide a yawn.

"But I'm tired now!" Yugi whined more.

"So am I, but we have to do this. Not to mention we have to change, and brush our teeth. So get up."

"Fine, you jerk!" Yugi growled as he lifted himself up from the couch. He grabbed his suitcase and followed Yami upstairs. The second he dropped the luggage on the floor he collapsed on the bed. He heard Yami walk in, and covered his head with the pillow. "I am not getting up, so forget it."

"You have to brush your teeth and change into your pajamas."

"I don't care, and I don't care."

"Aibou, you know dental hygiene is important," the spirit said, tugging on Yugi's arm to try to get him up.

"You should become a dentist," the smaller groaned getting up again. "Why are you so mean?" he complained as he was dragged to the bathroom.

"I just am." Yami responded. When they finished, Yami dragged Yugi back into his room.

"No way am I changing! I'm sleeping nude!" Yugi said, folding his arms and turning away from Yami.

"Interesting. I think I'll join you," Yami said with a smirk.

"You don't deserve it," Yugi mumbled as he started to remove his clothes. "Don't just stand there! Strip down!"

"You are really sexy when you are forceful like that, Little One," Yami responded while taking off his clothes.

"How the hell are you so perverted at this time!"

"It's only ten twenty seven, aibou. It's still early enough for me to be perverted."

"You shut up now or else you will be sleeping alone, and I will sleep with the Dark Magician plushie," Yugi said with a very scary glare.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry, hikari love. Come, let's go to sleep now," the Pharaoh said, bringing Yugi to the bed, and getting in.

"That's the only smart thing you've said in your entire life."

"Hey!"

"Oh shut up!" Yugi yelled, placing a hand over Yami's mouth. He then removed it and gave the spirit a light kiss. "Goodnight, Yami, and I hope your dreams are filled with horrible, mentally damaging images."

"Goodnight, Yugi. Same to you."

----------------------tbc----------------------

Star: WAH! I'm so sad that this is already over. -cries a river-

Yami: -holding an umbrella- You have that other story to obsess over, you know.

Star: Yea, that's true. -shrugs- I guess it's true what they say, all good things must come to an end. But I hope you liked this chapter. I had a few favorite parts myself.

Yugi: I didn't like the part of the fan girls.

Star: -grin- Oh? Why not? You don't like being obsessed over by rabid fan girls who want to use your body for their own sinful pleasure -stares at Yugi like he's a piece of meat-

Yugi: Uh…no. -hides behind Yami-

Star: Oh? That's a shame -drools- I think it would be fun -scoots closer to Yugi-

Yami: Um, aibou, I think it would be best if we…ran away. -runs away dragging Yugi behind him-

Star: -chases- Come back, Yugi! I want to bear your children!

Yugi: NOOO!

Please review!


	28. Perfect Moments

Star: HELLO EVERYONE! How were your holidays? Mine were ok. I GOT THE BEST ANIME DVDS EVER :dies: Sukisyo::dies again: I love Ran and Sunao! X-X LOVE!

Yami: As long as she's not obsessing over us.

Star:glomps Yami: Aww, I'll always obsess over you guys more.

Yami: Joy.

Yugi: So, this is the second to last chapter, right?

Star:cries: Yes! I'm so sad that this is almost over. :cries more:

Yami: Great, now she wont ever stop.

Star:glare: You are such an ass. But anyway, I will probably put up the last chapter either before the month ends, or in February. But expect it soon. I just can't believe that I have finally finished the story. I really makes me sad to see it end, but I won't give up on writing! I promise you guys that there will be many fics to come! But untill then, please enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind speech/

--------Perfect Moments-------

It was ten in the morning on Saturday in the town of Domino. The warm sun was shining in the bright blue, cloudless sky, the birds were chirping happily in the trees, and a sense of happiness was all around. People of all ages were out, from the young to the elderly. Everyone wanted to be outside today. This was the kind of day where your soul felt at peace, and everyone in Domino was taking advantage of the beautiful day.

Everyone except two tri-color haired boys. They were perfectly happy destroying their home as they played. Inside the home the two teens ran around, chasing each other. Well, more like Yami was chasing Yugi. "Yugi!" the spirit yelled as he ran after his younger hikari. "Give me back my CD!"

"Nope!" Yugi responded with a laugh as he vaulted over the couch. "You weren't paying attention to me, so this is your punishment."

"Yugi, if you scratch it-"

"You'll what? Spank me?" the hikari asked, a teasing glint in his amethyst eyes.

"You need one!" Yami said, finally tackling the other to the floor and pinning him down.

"You'd probably enjoy it," replied Yugi, smirking up at his lover. The Pharaoh smirked back and leaned down to kiss his aibou. He then pulled back, removing the CD from Yugi's grasp.

"Yea, I would. But don't take my things again." He was suddenly pulled back down, and found himself with his back to the ground, Yugi climbing on top of him. "Yugi?"

"You're warm," the young duelist said as he placed his head on his yami's chest. "And comfy."

"Oh yea? Well you," Yami said, flipping them over so that he was now on top of his aibou, "are soft and squishy. Like a plushie."

"A plushie?"

"Yup. And a very cute one at that," Yami answered, rubbing his nose against Yugi's and causing his lover to giggle.

"So, what kind of plushie am I?"

"Well, you are-" the spirit started to say, but he was interrupted by the phone. With a sigh, he reached up and tried to search for the phone.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just got up?"

"But I'm comfortable here." Yami finally grasped the phone and pulled it down, catching it before it hit the ground. "Hello?"

"Hi, Yami," came Mokuba's voice.

"Hello, Mokuba. When did you get back?"

"Yesterday afternoon. Jou was dying because he couldn't call you guys. Said he needed to know something. Seto had to take the phone from him about ten times and remind him that you guys wouldn't get back till late."

"Sounds just like Jou," Yami chuckled, and Yugi smiled and shook his head.

"Hold on, he wants to talk to you." There was the sounds of conversation on the other line, and the two boys leaned away from the phone, knowing what was about to come.

"Yami! Yugi!" yelled Jou. "How ya guys doin'!"

"We're fine, Jou. But you don't have to yell," Yugi responded with a laugh, and Yami uncovered his ears.

"Yugi! What's up? Everything ok? Did ya have a good flight? What about your vacation? I haven't talked to ya in a week!"

"Jou! Will you _please_ stop yelling!" Yami said, recovering his ears. "I'm going to get a damn headache!"

"Sorry. But ya deserve it!"

"Why?"

"Because you guys didn't call last night!"

"Jou," said Yugi, "it was almost eleven!"

"So? Do ya know how long I stayed up waiting for ya to call? How was I supposed to know if ya were ok? Next time, call da second ya get there!"

"Yes, mother," the two teens responded at the same time.

"Not funny! I was really concerned!"

"I'm sorry, Jou. Next time, we'll call," said Yugi. The teen then pushed the spirit off of him, earning a displeased groan from the elder at his actions. "I'll be back. I'm going to get a drink." Yami watched as he walked away, longing to just hang up on Jou and take his lover back into his arms.

"So, Yami. How are you guys?" Jou asked in a serious tone.

"We are fine, Jou," Yami responded, just as serious.

"I meant-"

"I know. Everything is back to normal now. The two of us are fine."

"Nothing has changed?"

"Well…there has been one big change," the Pharaoh said, a small smile gracing his lips. "But it is far from a bad thing."

"What is it?"

"I think Yugi would prefer to tell you."

"Tell him what?" the amethyst eyed teen asked as he walked back in the room, sitting in Yami's lap.

"About…you know."

"Ah. I see."

"Well, I don't," said Jou. "And I don't like to be kept clueless."

"But isn't that how you normally are?" Yami teased, earning a chuckle from Yugi and a growl from Jou.

"Watch it! I may not have magic, but I am stronger and taller! I can kick your scrawny ass any day!"

/I think it's a nice ass/ Yugi said, reaching a hand back and pinching his yami's butt. The spirit jumped and bit his lip to keep his startled squeak from escaping. /A VERY nice ass./

"Yugi!" Yami whispered, grabbing Yugi's hand and keeping it from moving.

"Yes?"

"Not now!"

"Fine," the younger pouted. "But you owe me BIG." With that, he rubbed his hips once against Yami's, then stood and walked to the couch, where he sat down and watched his lover with a smirk. Yami still sat on the ground biting his lip, the hand not holding the phone clenched in a fist. Now he _really_ wanted to hang up on Jou. Speaking of Jou, the blonde had been quiet the whole time, trying to figure out what was going on in their house.

"Hey…Yami?"

"Y-yea?"

"You ok?"

((I will be after I have Yugi.))

/If you want me so bad, come get me./ Yugi said in a sultry voice.

"I'm fine, Jou. Yugi is just being a pain in the ass."

/Why don't you _get off_ that nice ass of yours and come for me/

/I am five seconds away from slamming this phone down and ravishing you./

/Ooooo. Sounds like fun./

"Yami?" called Jou.

"Yes?" the crimson eyed youth answered, trying to ignore Yugi's voice.

"Since everyone else should be back by now, Seto and I…well…mainly me, decided to have a party. Ryou and Bakura are coming, and I gotta call da rest. So, ya guys comin'? It's at one."

"Sure. We'll see you there."

"Good. And ya betta bring my souvenir! Bye!"

"Later." The second Yami hung up the phone, he leapt over the back of the couch and straddled Yugi, bringing him into a deep kiss. "You have been very naughty, aibou. Teasing me like that while I'm on the phone."

"It was fun. Besides, you weren't ignoring me anymore."

"You are _very_ naughty. You really deserve a good spanking," the spirit mumbled as he started to trail kisses down his hikari's neck. He latched onto the junction of the neck and shoulder, and started to nibble lightly.

"Admit it," Yugi said breathlessly, writhing under his lover's ministrations. "You like it when I'm naughty."

"Yes, I do. Very much so."

"But at least I'm not the one who thinks of nothing but screwing my lover."

"How can you expect me to think of anything else? Especially when you are so eagerly squirming under me?" Yami then slipped a hand under the teen's shirt, starting to lift it up when his hand was captured and pushed away.

"I wouldn't be if you kept your hands off."

"But where is the fun in that? Now stop ruining my play time," the spirit ordered, taking the hands of his hikari and pinning them above his head, giving him the ability to explore without interruptions.

"Pervert."

"And proud."

"By the way," Yugi panted out, trying hard not to moan and give Yami the satisfaction in knowing that he had complete control over his body. But he had a feeling that the Pharaoh already knew. The hand sliding up and down his thigh was kind of a giveaway. "You never…n-never told…ah…me w-what…ngh…what plushie I am."

"You're right," Yami said, and he removed his hands from the other's body, smirking at the aggravated moan. He placed his elbows on each side of Yugi and interlaced his fingers, resting his chin on them. "I never did. Now…what would you be?"

"A teddy bear?"

"No. A teddy bear is far too plain and ordinary and you, my little tenshi, are far from ordinary. But you are just as cuddly. And…you are as snuggly as a kitty, soft like a bunny, playful like a monkey, cute as a puppy, tricky like a fox…tiny like a hamster-"

"Hey!"

"Feisty as a lion as well," the other continued with a chuckle, tapping his aibou on the nose lightly. "What else are you?"

"I thought you were going to tell me what plushie I am, not name animals."

"But I am. You have the qualities of all of them. But…I think kitten suits you just fine. Soft, cuddly, lovable, but has a fierce temper at times. And doesn't let anyone push it around. Yes, a kitten is what you are."

"Well, if I'm a kitten, then you are a lion," Yugi responded, reaching a hand up to gently stroke Yami's cheek. "Brave, strong, courageous, loyal, protective…lazy."

"Watch it."

"Gentle with the ones you love-"

"And quick to avenge the injuries my beloved suffers," Yami said with a smile.

"Everything the kitten wishes to be."

"The kitten doesn't have to wish. He already is all that and more. In fact, the lion looks up to the kitten a lot," Yami said as he took Yugi's hand from his cheek and kissed it gently, bringing a smile to the other boy's lips.

"So says the lion. But either way, unless the kitten has a huge growth spurt, he'll always be looking up to the lion."

Yami burst into a fit of laughter at those words. He then gently lowered himself onto his aibou's body and nuzzled his cheek gently. "But I like you like that. It's what makes you cute, and you are travel size."

"I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted."

"A bit of both, hikari love. Now come, we only have two hours before we need to go over to Seto and Jou's. So we should do something."

"And what exactly do you have in mind, Yami?" Yami pretended to think while a smirk slipped onto his face. He looked down at his hikari, a mysterious light shining in the crimson orbs. When Yugi saw, he rolled his eyes and looked away, giving an exasperated huff. "Ra, Yami. Is that _all_ you ever think about?"

"I do think of other things, but it's very hard to keep my concentration off of you for very long. And since I have you all to myself for two days, I figure why not put this time to good use."

"What happened to make you so obsessed?" Yugi asked, sighing while he ran a hand through his hair, pushing back the strands that were falling into his face.

"I met the most wonderful person in the world, and I couldn't get him out of my mind," the spirit replied, gently placing a kiss to Yugi's lips. He saw his lover smile up at him, and returned the smile full force. "And if that qualifies me as being obsessed with you, then I'm honored to have that title."

"Did you know it's unhealthy to be too obsessed with something?"

"Whoever said that has not met you, because it is impossible not to be obsessed with you. But either way, I wouldn't let anyone else think of you that way. You are mine, and you will stay that way forever."

"Very commanding. But I will be yours only if you are mine. Promise?" Yugi asked, raising his pinky. Yami smiled and hooked his pinky around his lovers. He then placed a kiss on Yugi's finger.

"I promise."

--------------------

Two hours later, the pair found themselves standing outside the Kaiba mansion, waiting for one of the three residents to open the door. They weren't holding hands, but they were close enough so that their hands would brush against each other. Both had agreed not to announce their relationship at first. They would wait until later in the party, when they both were ready. "Ra, they are taking long," the crimson eyed Pharaoh said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"It's only been thirty seconds," Yugi said. "You could learn to be a little patient."

"Well, at least there is no snow here. I would die if I had to be surrounded by that white stuff for another day."

"……You know you are already dead."

"Rub it in, why don't ya!"

Yugi started to laugh, bending over and holding his sides as he tried to control his laughter. He heard the spirit growl in annoyance next to him, and he started to laugh even harder. He could feel tears building up in his eyes, and he had to lean against Yami to keep from falling down. Vaguely he heard the door open, but he was too busy trying to stop laughing to notice.

"Uh…why is Yugi laughing so much?" Mokuba asked as he stared at the teen.

"He's gone insane. Just leave him," the spirit said, stepping away from his hikari and started walking inside, only to have his arm grabbed by Yugi.

"Don't…you dare," he panted out, finally getting his laughter to stop. "I'm ok…now."

"…Right. Anyway, Jou has been waiting for you guys to show up, and the longer he waits, the more impatient he gets."

"As usual," Yugi said. Suddenly, two blond streaks flew around a corner and tackled him to the ground. "Ah! Get them off!"

"That's so mean, Yugi!" said one, lifting his head, revealing Jou under the shaggy mane of blonde hair.

"Yea! We haven't talked to you in a week, and this is how you treat us?" said the other blonde that turned out to be Malik. "And to think, we missed you."

"I missed you guys too," the younger teen replied with a smile. "But do you mind easing up on the hugging? It's becoming painful." But instead of letting him go, the two just hugged him tighter. "Seriously, guys! I can't breathe! Yami!"

The spirit sighed and rolled his eyes before yanking the two off of his lover and helping Yugi up. "Really. Can't you two act a little more mature?"

"By mature, do you mean boring as hell?" a voice asked, and all of them turned and saw Marik walking up to them, a soda can in his hand.

"At least I'm not an eccentric psycho like you," the Pharaoh replied, glaring at the other Egyptian.

"Better to be eccentric than to be a boring prick," Marik replied with a smirk.

"Why you-" Yami said, heading over to the other yami when Seto stepped between them.

"I would rather NOT have my house destroyed AGAIN! Take it outside if you want to act like rabid animals. Now move out of the doorway, because Ryou and Bakura are coming up." The group turned to see the last yami and hikari pair walk up the driveway towards the mansion. Suddenly, Ryou let out a squeal and ran up to Yugi, tackling him into a hug.

"Not again!" the teen cried as he tried to get up from the floor. The British teen blushed, and got up, helping his friend up as well.

"Sorry, Yugi. I got a little carried away. But it's good to see you again after a week," Ryou said, embracing Yugi again, who returned the hug, glad that it wasn't suffocating like the others had been. But Jou and Malik felt left out so they pulled the other two into a group hug, poor Yugi caught in the middle. Once the three felt as if they had hugged enough, they let go of him and watched as he dropped to the floor in exhaustion.

"I can't even make it inside the door!" he cried out, leaning against Yami's leg as he gasped for breath. Yami just chuckled, in which Yugi replied by smacking his leg and glaring up at him.

/I told you it was impossible to not be obsessed with you, aibou./ The spirit said, laughter in his voice. Yugi just whined and pouted, hitting Yami once more before pulling himself up. It was at that time that Anzu, Honda, and Otogi walked up to the door. Upon seeing Yugi, Anzu started to call his name and ran up to him.

"Oh no!" Yugi yelled, and quickly got up and hid behind Yami. "Don't even THINK about hugging me," he told the girl. "Shake my hand, but don't anyone dare hug me again."

/Not even me/

/You are an exception, but only you./

"What's wrong with Yugi?" Honda asked Mokuba.

"He was just tackle glomped by two hikaris and a Jou."

"Poor thing," said Otogi, shaking his head sadly. "He must be traumatized ."

"Are we going to stand outside all day?" asked Bakura, eager to get inside and start annoying Yami. After all, he had to make up for one week with no one to annoy. Might as well start with his favorite target. "Or is everyone going to tackle the shrimp?"

"Don't insult my hikari, tomb robber," Yami growled. "The last week was actually quiet without you."

"No one likes quiet, except for old bastards like you," Bakura replied, earning snickers from Marik and Seto.

"You are as old as me and you know it. At least I don't look like an old man, whitey!"

"At least my hair doesn't resemble a starfish!"

"You know," Jou whispered to Ryou and Yugi, "in a way, they are insulting you two as well."

"You get used to it," Ryou said, waving it off as the group entered the mansion and headed to the living room.

"And at least Ryou and I don't go around insulting every little thing about each other," Yugi chimed in while munching on a cookie from the snack table.

"Well can you get them to stop insulting each other?" Anzu asked, watching the two yami's fight. "Wouldn't want them to start throwing objects instead of insults." At that, Ryou sighed and walked over to his other half. He then shoved a cookie in Bakura's mouth and dragged him away from the Pharaoh who started laughing. "Well…that is one way to silence someone. So Yugi, how was your vacation? We didn't talk at all."

"It was fun, and…interesting. A lot of things happened."

"Really? Like what?"

"Oh…nothing special." 'If you don't count me almost dying.' "We just went skating and snowboarding. Defeated Yami in a snowboarding race, and shoved snow down his shirt. Typical stuff."

"That's sounds fun," Anzu said with a laugh.

'Yea, that part of the trip was. The rest…no one but Yami and I will ever know.' Ryou then walked over and pulled Yugi away from Anzu, saying he had something important to ask. The younger duelist cocked his head in confusion, but followed the British teen into the kitchen. "Ryou, why did you drag me here?"

"I've been dying to ask, but how are things with you and Yami?"

"Uh…why?"

"Because after that day we didn't talk at all. I want to know if everything went ok."

"Well…"

"Oh, tell me! I need to know," Ryou begged, practically bouncing up and down.

"I'll tell you later."

"But why not now?"

"Because…because I want to tell everyone."

"Is it a big announcement?"

"Kinda. But I'm not telling you a thing."

"Aww!" Ryou pouted and hung his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "You are so mean! And after all the help I've given you."

"Well…I'll tell you one thing," Yugi said, smiling when the other teen popped his head back up, his eyes shining with curiosity. "I met this guy at the hotel."

"A guy? But I thought you liked Yami."

"Yea, well, this guy was our snowboard instructor. His name is Kyoji and he's nineteen."

"Oh, tell me more."

So Yugi proceeded to tell Ryou everything about Kyoji, and everything that had happened between them, and why he agreed to date him in the first place. The British teen was angry at Yami when he heard what the spirit had done, but as long as he had apologized, Ryou would forgive him. He was also very interested in Kyoji. After all, the guy professed his love for Yugi. And he didn't seem to be one of those crazy stalker fans that occasionally popped up. He seemed trustworthy. But Ryou still couldn't believe that Yugi had betrayed Yami like that, so it was time for some punishment. "Wow. I can't believe you spent the night at his place."

"Nothing happened!" Yugi said, trying to drill it into Ryou's mind.

"And how can I be sure of that?" Ryou asked, smirking. "After all, the guy loves you and you are starting to like him."

"Ryou, I wouldn't do anything like that!"

"But I'm sure you were very tempted," Ryou said, trying and failing to hold in his laughter.

"Tempted to do what?" asked Bakura as he walked in the kitchen.

"Yugi slept at some guy's apartment after one date, and I said he was probably tempted to do 'things'."

"Wait! Yugi spent the night with some random guy?" Bakura asked, his eyes widening.

"Shush! And it's not what you think!" Yugi said, desperately trying to fix the situation.

"I never knew you had it in you, kid," Bakura said with a laugh. It was at that time that Marik and Malik walked in.

"Had what in him?" the spirit of the rod asked.

"Yugi-" Ryou started to say, but he was tackled by Yugi who quickly covered his mouth.

"Nothing! I did nothing at all! Nothing, so forget it!"

"No, now I want to know," Malik said, turning to Bakura expectantly.

"Ryou, you are so mean! Now make him stop! Or I'll hate you forever!"

"All right, I'm sorry." the teen laughed. "Bakura, you can't tell them."

"Aww, why not?" Bakura pouted.

"Because I said you can't. Now everyone leave Yugi alone. Happy now, Yugi?"

"Yes, but I still hate you," Yugi replied, storming out of the room and heading over to his lover who was talking with Jou and Honda. He went over to the spirit and, with an annoyed groan, dropped his forehead on Yami's shoulder.

"What's wrong, aibou?" Yami asked, placing a hand on Yugi's head.

"Ryou and Bakura were being mean to me."

"Just ignore them. Bakura is just an idiot, and Ryou has his moments."

"Oi!" Bakura said as he and the other three came out of the kitchen. "If I can't insult your aibou, you can't insult mine!"

"And you two can't be mean to Yugi."

"I said I was sorry, Yugi," Ryou said. "I didn't mean to take it that far, and neither did Bakura. We both apologize."

"I didn't say sorry," Bakura commented, earning him a painful jab in the side from Ryou. "Ow! Ok! I'm sorry."

"Fine, but I'm never telling you anything again."

"What did you tell them?" Yami asked.

/About Kyoji./

/Oh…him./

/Yami, don't start. He's my friend./

/Doesn't mean I have to like him./

/No, but you can't say anything bad about him when I can hear. Or you will be sleeping back in your room./

/Fine! But he's not getting you again./

Yugi just smiled and rolled his eyes. Guess Yami would never stop being jealous or possessive. But he liked it that way. If Yami had any other personality, then he wouldn't be the Yami that Yugi had grown to love. Those weren't flaws in Yugi's eyes. They were just a part of Yami, and Yugi loved every bit of his other half.

/If you love me so much, prove it/ Yami said, the smirk obvious in his voice.

/Not here. The others don't know about us yet./

/We are in a mansion. I'm sure there are a dozen places we could sneak off to./

/You are _so_ perverted./

/But you didn't decline./

/And why would I? But I would rather tell everyone about us, before we did anything publicly./

/And I would rather be at home alone with you and no one else around./

/Don't you ever get tired of being so perverted/

/Did you just ask me that question/

/…did I just ask you that question/

/Besides, Malik and Marik always sneak off to do stuff./

/I don't want you picking up Marik's bad habits./

/Never in a million years, aibou. But come on, why don't we go/

/And here I thought I had a normal yami./

/Hey, I am the sanest of the three./

/Sanity doesn't constitute normalcy./

/Nothing about any of our lives could be construed as normal, aibou./

/Of course. And to think, I used to wish my life were more exciting./

/Well, you got your wish./

/But how was I supposed to know it was a permanent wish? Now I'm stuck with two insane yamis and one smart ass yami./

/Watch what you say, Yugi. Or I might just have to punish you for it./

/You gonna give me another spanking/

/You still deserve one for this morning./

/You would spank me more for your sick pleasure than for my punishment./

/Doesn't mean you wouldn't enjoy it/ Yami said as his hand was slowly traveling down Yugi's back, the spirit making sure that no one could see it.

/That would be you, Yami./

/True./

Yugi rolled his eyes again and stepped away from the spirit, heading over to Jou and Seto. /If you want some, you have to wait till later./

/But I don't want to wait/ the spirit pouted.

/Too bad. You know what they say. Good things come to those who wait./

/And whoever said that has also never met you./

/Not my fault all you think about is sex./

/It's impossible to keep my mind off of the sexiest thing in the room. I mean, have you looked in a mirror lately/

/No, because all I have to do is look at you./

-----------------------------

In a corner of the room, Ryou and Bakura stood watching the other two, noticing their movements and facial expressions change as they talked to each other. The two could see that something had changed between the Pharaoh and his hikari, and they had a feeling they knew what it was. "It's so obvious, I'm surprised no one has noticed yet," said Bakura as he took a sip from his drink.

"Well, they are trying hard to hide it. But I don't know why," replied Ryou, leaning his head against Bakura's shoulder.

"Maybe they don't want to tell anyone for a while, like us."

"The only reason we didn't tell anyone for a while was because you didn't want people to think you had gone soft," Ryou said, nudging his boyfriend in the side with his elbow.

"But everyone already knows the Pharaoh is a complete wimp, so that can't be the reason," Bakura said, moving out of the way to avoid getting hit in the side again.

"Maybe Yugi doesn't want anyone to know. He is very shy, and this is his first relationship."

"But at least he isn't avoiding Yami like you did when we were in public. You wouldn't even stand next to me, because you didn't want people to know."

"The only reason I did that was because I knew that if I got too close to you, I'd probably start clinging to you, which would give us away."

"You cling to me enough now."

"Do not!"

"What do you call what you are doing now?" Bakura asked with a chuckle.

"I'm not 'clinging', I'm 'leaning'. Get your verbs right!" Ryou said, glaring at Bakura and lifting his head. "And if you are so annoyed by it, then I'll just leave." The silver haired teen started to walk away, when he felt two arms encircle his waist and draw him back against the spirit's body.

"Who said I was annoyed?"

"If you aren't, don't bring up the subject."

"Fine," replied the spirit as he leaned down to kiss his lover.

"Hey!" called out a voice right next to them, making them both jump from shock. Bakura accidentally released his grip on Ryou, causing the boy to fall to the floor.

"Marik, what the hell do you want?" Bakura growled, as he helped his lover off the floor.

"I came here to ask why you two were avoiding everyone by standing here alone," replied the blonde yami.

"We were talking in private, you jackass!"

"Yea, well, you have enough time to do that at your house. But right now, you are being rude, so come on!" Marik said, grabbing Ryou's arm and dragging him across the room to where the rest of the group was sitting, an annoyed Bakura following close behind. The three then sat down, Ryou on Yugi's left, Bakura between Ryou and Malik, and Marik next to his aibou.

"It's about time you joined us," said Honda.

"Shut up!" said Bakura. "What are we doing?"

"We were talking about what we did during our vacations, and since the only thing we know about yours was that you tried to bury a live cat, we want to know."

"You buried a live cat!" yelled Jou. "Do you hate animals or something?"

"No! I was just bored! Besides, I wasn't going to leave it there. Cats were sacred in my time, you know!"

"I hope Bast punishes you for that," Yami said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Pharaoh! You know that burying cats was not so uncommon back then."

"That was only when someone died, and that was done in a ritual. You did it because you are too stupid to think of anything else to do."

"How about I bury you alive and leave you there!"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Guys, stop it" said Ryou, but the two ignored him. He let out an annoyed sigh, hearing Yugi do the same beside him.

"Ooo!" squealed Malik in excitement. "Looks like a fight."

"I can take you down any time, Pharaoh!" yelled Bakura.

"Not even in your dreams!"

"Wanna bet!"

"I put ten bucks on Bakura!" yelled Marik, throwing a bill on the floor.

"Yea, well I got ten on Yami," said Jou, who tossed a bill on top of the other, followed by Mokuba and Honda.

"Well, I say Bakura," chimed in Otogi, placing his money on the pile, along with Seto. Anzu just rolled her eyes, and mumbled something about 'stupid boys' and how she needed to find more female friends.

"And I put twenty in that Ryou and Yugi will take them both," said Malik with a smile. "Ten bucks for each."

"Don't make me kick your ass!" said Bakura, not knowing that he and Yami were being betted on.

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Don't push me, Pharaoh!" growled Bakura.

"Or you'll what?" asked Yami with a smirk.

"I'll-" Bakura started to say, when suddenly Ryou grabbed his ear very painfully. Yugi did the same to Yami, and the two spirits started crying out in pain.

"I've had enough of your arguing!" yelled Ryou.

"You two are worse than children!" said Yugi. "Yami, you will sit there quietly, and not talk to Bakura, got that!"

"Same goes for you, Bakura!"

The two yamis nodded, ashamed and embarrassed that their aibous had had to reprimand them like that in public. The watched as Malik grabbed the bills from the middle, triumphantly cheering as he put the money in his wallet. The rest of the group just snickered at the two yamis, amused that two people so powerful could be taken down so easily.

"Well," started Seto," that was entertaining. I'm just glad it ended before they trashed the place, AGAIN." Bakura mumbled insults under his breath, and Yami just glared at the brunette. "Now if we could just get back to the topic we were on before."

"Yea. Yug', I wanna know what you guys did. I didn't talk to ya at all, and to Yami only twice," said Jou.

"When did you talk to Jou?" Yugi asked, turning to Yami who looked away and hung his head slightly down.

"It was right after…that."

"…does he know?" Yugi asked.

"I know," replied Jou quietly.

"We know too," said Malik and Marik nodded in agreement, both uncharacteristically serious.

"The three of them know? But they don't know about after?" Yami just shook his head, still refusing to meet Yugi's gaze. The teen sent a wave of care to him, reminding the spirit that everything was fine, and telling him not to blame himself for it. "Oh, I see."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Otogi, as he and the rest tried to figure out why the five looked so serious all of a sudden. The five looked at him, then everyone turned to look at Yugi. The amethyst eyed teen sighed, and gave a soft smile.

"It's not that big a deal. Yami and I had a fight, and I stormed out of the hotel room. Everyone has fights, and Yami and I are no different. It's not the end of the world."

"But why were you guys fighting? Play fights don't count, and usually it has to be something big to get you two to fight," said Anzu. "Last time you guys fought for real was…I can't even remember."

"Well…" Yugi said, glancing over to Yami, "It's a long story…and by the looks on your faces, you want to hear it." He looked over at Yami and the two nodded. "Ok. This is what happened on our vacation."

---------------------------

Half an hour later, every jaw in the room was on the floor in shock as Yugi and the Pharaoh watched them expectantly. No one made a sound in the large mansion as they waited for their brains to comprehend what they had just been told. Though they weren't told everything. The part with Yugi falling in the lake, ending up in the hospital, and almost dying was left out. "Wow…" mumbled Jou. "All that happened in one week?"

"And I thought our vacation was interesting," said Otogi, shaking his head. "I can't believe that stuff happened."

"Yea, well…" said Yami. "It would have been better if none of that had happened."

/But we wouldn't be together if it didn't/ Yugi said.

/Still, I wish it would have happened under different, less life threatening circumstances./

"So…are you guys ok now?" asked Mokuba.

"Uh…well…" Yugi said, looking over at Yami who looked back. The two were silent for a while, discussing whether or not they were ready for the others to know of their relationship. Everyone else was starting to grow impatient and slightly unnerved with their silence. Was everything ok with them? They acted like they were fine, but was it? Or were they really acting? Ryou bit his lip nervously; could he and Bakura have been wrong?

"Guys?" Honda called, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the group. "Are you two over it or not?"

"We…we are fine," said Yami, smiling softly at Yugi who smiled back.

"Actually, we are better than fine," Yugi commented, scooting closer to Yami and grabbing his hand. Everyone watched the action with confusion, it slowly dawning on them that something big had changed between Yami and Yugi. Ryou grabbed Bakura's hand and gave it an excited squeeze. Maybe they were right after all! "Um…see…the thing is…" Yugi stuttered, a small blush beginning to creep onto his cheeks, and he hung his head so no one would see his embarrassment. He heard Yami's mental chuckle, and pouted. He couldn't help it if he was embarrassed. After all, this was his first time ever being in a relationship.

"The thing is," Yami said, picking up where Yugi had left off, "Yugi and I…are together."

For the third time that night, the whole group was silent. The word 'together' kept repeating itself over and over in their minds. They all just sat there silently, mouths agape, staring at the two and waiting for someone to shout 'got ya!'. When all they got were stares back, they realized that this was no joke. "Wait," said Jou, "Ya mean to tell us dat you guys-"

"Are a couple," said Yugi, still not lifting his head up, as he felt the blush grow.

Again, it was silent in the house. The group could only gawk at the two, which was really starting to get on their nerves. It wasn't as if they had said that nazis on dinosaurs were destroying the world. The least they could do was close their mouths. Really! They didn't act this way when…ok, so they were taking it better than they did when they found out that the other yamis had hooked up with their hikaris. At least this time there were no lie detectors, private investigators, or court summons involved.

And in the blink of an eye the silence was replaced by three earth shattering squeals, and suddenly Yugi was lying on the floor with Ryou, Malik, and Anzu clinging to him and cheering. They were babbling about how great it was that he and Yami were together, and telling him all sorts of things that they had to do now that they were a couple. Yugi didn't know whether to pass out from relief or lack of air.

Jou and the others were congratulating Yami, and wishing him the best of luck with his new relationship. At the same time, Marik and Bakura were enjoying this new twist. It would give them new ammo to use on the Pharaoh. Poor, unsuspecting Yami. They would really give him a hard time after this. Marik smirked and leaned close to Yami, whispering in his ear, "So, have you fucked him yet?"

Before Yami could respond by politely shoving his foot up Marik's ass, Yugi attached himself to Yami's side, finally getting away from the others and their cuddle/glomp of doom. Next time he told them something important like that, he was going to hide behind a wall. But what the hell, it was a special moment, so he would forgive them for causing him temporary pain. And why couldn't he stop smiling!

/They took it better than I had expected/ Yami said with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around Yugi's waist and pulling him close.

/Did you expect them not to accept us? But I'm glad we don't have to hide this from them./

/Which means we can do things in public./

/Pervert./

/Yup./

"I can't believe you are actually a couple!" Ryou said, bouncing up and down happily. "I never expected it to happen so soon!"

"I never expected it to work!" Yugi said with a smile.

"Wait…he knew?" asked Yami.

"He knew."

"I knew."

"I knew too!" said Bakura. "And if it wasn't for _my_ advice, you two wouldn't have gotten anywhere," he said triumphantly, Ryou and Yugi nodding in agreement. Yami just blinked as he stared at the other spirit.

"What advice?"

"Well, do you remember anything specific that happened on your third day of vacation?" the white haired yami asked. Yami thought back to the past few days. Lets see: the first day they came at night, and nothing happened besides Yugi getting the nightmare. The second day they went snowboarding. The third day Yami left before Yugi woke up, but when he came back……OH GODS!

"THAT WAS YOUR ADVICE!" yelled Yami, his face turning as red as his eyes, from embarrassment or anger no one could tell. Bakura, Ryou and Yugi started cracking up, though Yugi had a light blush of his own. The rest of the group just sat there confused as usual. "I can't believe you, Bakura!"

"Why not? You really didn't think that Yugi came up with it himself. No way this puff ball could think that way. I was surprised that he even went through with it. Gotta give him credit for that," Bakura said patting Yugi's head, making the younger teen giggle and smile proudly. "And admit it! You enjoyed every second! The blush on your face is proof!"

"Oh yea! He REALLY enjoyed it, if you know what I mean," Yugi added, a sly smile creeping onto his lips. Yami just about passed out from shock right there. The whole world seemed to be on a mission to cause his second death. Yugi and the silver haired duo just kept on laughing, while Yami gaped in shock and the rest of the group stared in silence. Yup, everything was back to normal.

"But you still didn't answer the question, Pharaoh," said Bakura. "Have you fucked him yet?"

"DIE, BASTARD!"

---------------------------

Later that night the Pharaoh and his lover walked inside their home, and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. That was definitely one of the group's wilder parties. They wouldn't stop asking the new couple questions. Then of course, the other yamis decided to play a few 'games'. By games they meant 'situations that could completely embarrass and humiliate the Pharaoh by exploiting his relationship with Yugi.' Also known as spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, strip poker, strip dueling, strip pool, and any game they could put the word 'strip' in front of. Though twister was the most popular.

"Ra, I'm so tired," Yami groaned, stretching his arms above his head. "I feel like a damn pretzel."

"I think 10 rounds of twister was a bit much," Yugi added, resting his head in Yami's lap. The spirit reached down and ran his fingers gently through Yugi's hair. The hikari smiled and closed his eyes with a soft, happy sigh. He loved spending time with his friends, but right now he was just content to be with Yami.

Yami smiled down at his lover. He was glad that they had revealed their relationship to the others. Now they could go public, and Yami would make sure the world knew that Yugi was his alone, and that no one would ever take him away again. ((I swear, chibi tenshi, I will never let you be hurt again. I swear that we will be together till the end of time and much, much longer.))

"I feel really drained," Yugi mumbled, nuzzling Yami's hand when it came down to caress his cheek. "Like, beyond tired."

"Just rest a bit, Little One. You'll get your energy back in no time."

"Maybe I shouldn't have exerted myself so much. After all, I'm still recovering." Yami nodded, then gently lifted Yugi's head up and lay down under the teen. Yugi lay on top of him, burying his face into Yami's neck and breathing deeply, inhaling Yami's spicy scent. "Mmm…sleepy."

"If you are that tired, just go to sleep," the crimson eyed teen said softly, slowly rubbing circles into Yugi's back.

"Ok…did I tell you that you are really comfy to lay on?"

"I believe you have mentioned it before," Yami replied with a smile. Yugi smiled back, and leaned down to kiss Yami softly. The Pharaoh closed his eyes in content, and pulled Yugi closer to him, deepening the kiss with every intention of showing his aibou how much he loved him. In the end Yugi was left winded, his cheeks flushed, and mind hazy while Yami smirked.

"Did I also happen to mention how much I love kissing you?"

"I think so, but feel free to remind me," Yami said, and Yugi did just that. And he did it again, and again, and again. In fact, he did it so many times, he was sure that Yami wouldn't soon forget that particular fact. But if he ever did, he would be very happy to jog his memory. "I thought you said you had no energy left," said Yami afterwards.

"I'll always have enough energy for that," Yugi replied with a smile, before reaching back and smacking Yami's hand away from his rear. "But right now I'm too tired for that."

"But you promised!" whined Yami.

"I said 'later' not 'tonight'."

"You are so mean!" the spirit said, pouting. "You promised, and it's not good to go back on your promises."

"Don't you ever get tired of thinking of nothing but sex?"

"No."

Yugi smacked his forehead with his palm, completely annoyed with how easily and quickly Yami had answered his question. (Lucky me, my yami turns out just as sex crazed as the other two.) "Oi vay, this will be annoying."

"You really should stop mumbling to yourself, aibou. People will think you are crazy," Yami said with a smirk. He loved messing with Yugi. It was always entertaining…well…to him anyway.

"They obviously haven't met you."

"You hurt my feelings."

"And you hurt my head."

"It's just innocent fun, my little kitten," Yami said with a smile, rubbing his nose against Yugi's. "Lighten up, will ya."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "You are such a moron."

"But I'm _your_ moron."

Yugi smiled, and leaned down to place a chaste peck on his yami's lips. "Of course you are. You shall always be my moron, so don't you forget it."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Yami before he pulled Yugi back down into a fierce kiss. He quickly slipped his hands under Yugi's shirt and started to caress his stomach. The teen moaned and gently bucked his hips into Yami's, causing them both to moan. Then Yugi broke away from the kiss, causing Yami to whine in disappointment. Yugi smiled and sat up, now straddling his lover.

"I love you, Yami," he said, complete happiness shining in his amethyst eyes.

Yami smiled back and reached up to gently stroke Yugi's cheek, and said "I love you too, Yugi." Yugi closed his eyes momentarily and sighed happily, placing a hand on top of Yami's and holding the spirit's hand to his cheek. He then opened his eyes and smirked at the spirit.

"If you love me so much, prove it." He then jumped up off the older teen and dashed upstairs. It took Yami a few seconds to comprehend what Yugi had said, and then he took off like a rocket after his hikari. He'd have much fun tonight. After all, his lover was Yugi. Life just couldn't get better.

-------------------------------TBC----------------------------------

Star: Wootsish! The chapter is over! And this time, I didn't procrastinate for months! But I am sad that there is only one chapter left. :cries:

Yugi: Well, you still have all your other fics to write.

Yami: Don't encourage her! We'd all be better off without her crazy stories.

Star: …Yugi?

Yugi: Yes?

Star: Would you hate me if I made Yami 'disappear' for a while?

Yugi: Uh…:sweat drop: How long is 'a while'?

Star: Forever.

Yugi: …sure, why not?

Yami: AIBOU!

Star: SCORE! DIE YAMI! HAHAHA:cough: Yea, so, please stay tuned for the final installment in the story! I hope that you guys stick around after the fic is done to read the rest of my works. Ja!


	29. A Sweet End

Star: Well…here it is…the final chapter…and I'm trying so hard not to cry.

Yugi: And you are doing a great job.

Yami: But I still have an umbrella, just in case.

Star: I can't believe it's really over! I mean…it's really over! It seems like just yesterday I was typing up the first chapter and wondering how to write shounen-ai, and here I am, 29 chapters and 763 reviews later, finishing up this story with one in the works and tons waiting to be started. I just can't believe it! And I can't stop saying that!

I want to thank each and every single person who has read and/or reviewed Deepest Dreams. It's because of all of you that I continued this fic. And though I sometimes procrastinated for months on end, I kept going because I didn't want to disappoint any of you. I really enjoy writing, and reading all your positive comments makes me smile. (And sometimes laugh. Boy, some of those reviews were hilarious!)

So thanks again for sticking with me through Deepest Dreams. I hope you continue to read my other stories, and I hope to hear from you again! But for now, here is the final chapter of Deepest Dreams.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

"speech"

'dream speech'

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

----A Sweet End----

The wind silently blew through the surrounding trees, gently moving the leaves to their will. A soft snow fell gracefully from the darkened skies and landed on those leaves, piling up till the leaf caved under its weight, sending the small mound to the forest floor with a plop. It was so silent and serene, and the young boy who stood in its mist was captivated by the sight.

Yugi stood there between the trees, looking up at the night sky while watching the star light reflect off of the snowflakes as they descended from the heavens. The snow shined a pale blue under the full moon, and the trees seemed to light up. The scene was familiar to him. The forest, the snow, the dark night. It was all familiar to the teen.

How many times had he been in this place? Quite a few, and all in the past week. It was strange; before he had been too preoccupied to notice how beautiful the place really was. Instead of bringing him fear as it had done before, this place now brought him a sense of tranquility. Funny how things seemed so different once you took the time to examine them better.

A light tug in his chest made Yugi turn to his right and start walking in that direction. Where was he going? What would he do when he got there? Yugi didn't know, but wasn't worried at all. He knew what lay ahead, and knew that worrying would be stupid. After all, why should he worry? Nothing could hurt him anymore.

Yugi kept walking through the forest, taking his time to admire the scenery. It was just like how he remembered it from the other dreams, but this time the shadows that had seemed to be reaching out to grab him were nothing but shadows. The wind and snow no longer attacked him in fury, but now they flowed around his body in harmony, lovingly caressing his cheeks and playfully nipping at his nose. Yugi smiled and giggled lightly, knowing his cheeks were probably a bright red by now.

Another tug in his chest, slightly harder, made the boy smile more and roll his eyes. It was impatient, and so Yugi slightly quickened his pace. Up ahead he could see a clearing, the trees beginning to become further apart. Happiness filled the boy and he began to run towards the opening, wanting to get there as quickly as he could. The snow slowly stopped falling, and the few clouds scattered, letting the moon shine in all its glory.

And suddenly he reached the end of the trees and stopped to stare at what was before him. There, in the middle of the clearing, was a large rock. Lying on top of the rock with his eyes closed, acting as if he had all the time in the world, was Yami. Yugi smiled softly when he saw his other half, and quietly walked over. The crunching of the snow caught Yami's attention, and the spirit opened his eyes and sat up.

'It's about time you got here,' Yami said, a playful smile on his face.

'It's not that easy to walk in snow,' Yugi replied as he walked over to his lover. 'So are you going to get off or not?'

'You are so bossy sometimes,' replied the Pharaoh as he slid off, landing next to his hikari and drawing the other into a hug.

'And?'

'And I'm the king, which means I should give orders.'

'You wish,' Yugi said, looking up at Yami and smiling.

'You are so annoying sometimes.'

'But you can't not love me for it.'

'No, I can't,' said Yami, leaning down to kiss Yugi. 'Your lips are turning blue. Are you cold?'

'Not anymore. You keep me warm. And you know I love the snow,' the younger replied while snuggling closer to his yami.

'Good. But you know how much I _hate_ the snow.'

'Of course I do. You never let me forget.'

Yami stuck his tongue out at Yugi, and Yugi repeated the action. The two softly smiled at each other, before Yami leaned down and captured his lover's lips. Yugi parted them and Yami slipped his tongue inside. He ran it over Yugi's, beckoning it to play with him. Yugi responded by curling it around Yami's tongue and they began to battle for dominance. The two tongues rubbed and caressed each other, trying to be the victor in their duel. In the end, Yugi surrendered to his other half, and let Yami explore at will while he ran his hands through the Pharaoh's hair.

After a while they broke apart for much needed air. Yugi smiled lazily at his boyfriend, his face even more flushed than before. Yami smiled back at him, brushing his lips softly against Yugi's temple, and tightening his embrace. Yugi sighed happily and placed his head on Yami's shoulders, closing his eyes as he basked in the love that surrounded them. 'I love you, Yami. Always,' Yugi said, looking up into the spirit's crimson orbs.

'I love you too, Yugi,' Yami replied, brushing away a bang so he could gaze deeply into Yugi's beautiful amethyst eyes. 'Always.'

The snow began to fall again. Softly and silently it fluttered to the ground, not wanting to disturb the two lovers as they leaned in for another wonderful kiss. It was content to fall around them, blanketing the area in soft cotton and providing a romantic ambiance for the two. It had much to be proud of, for it had brought the two teens together time and time again, and was happy to continue doing so. Yes, the snow had helped their love bloom and was very proud.

And in the end, Yami learned to love the snow too.

----------------------END-----------------------

Star: So…there is the end…:breaks down in tears: I'm really going to miss this fic!

Yami: I knew she'd start crying.

Yugi: But you still have your other fics, so you don't have to be so sad.

Star: Yea…I guess. Thanks again for sticking with me! Hope to hear from all of you again soon! Goodbye!


End file.
